GLIMPSES  OF 
CHINA 


AND  CHINESE  HOMES 


EDWARD  S.  MORSE 


tVic  ®'hcol0gic^( 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Purchased  by  the  Hamill  Missionary  Fund. 


Division 

• n S .6. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/glimpsesofchinacOOmors 


Glimpses  of  China 

and 

Chinese  Homes 


Cook's  house.  Canton 


Glimpses  of  China 

and 

Chin  ese  H omes 


By  Z' 

Edward  S.  Morse 


Formerly  Professor  of  Zoology  In  the  Imperial  University,  Tokyo 
Author  of 

“Japanese  Homes  and  Their  Surroundings,”  etc. 


Illustrated  from  Sketches  in  the  Author's  'Journal 


Boston 

Little,  Brown,  and  Company 

1902 


Copyright,  igo2. 

By  the  “American  Architect  and  Building  News”  Co. 

Copyright,  igo2, 

By  Little,  Brown,  and  Company. 

All  rights  reserved. 

Published  October,  1902. 


UNIVERSITY  PRESS  • JOHN  WILSON 
AND  SON  • CAMBRIDGE,  U.S.  A. 


Something  is  to  be  learnt  from  every  hook 

Chinese  Proverb 


PREFACE 


The  following  brief  memoranda  and  sketches 
were  made  some  years  ago  during  a short  visit 
to  China,  after  a residence  of  nearly  four  years 
in  Japan,  two  years  of  which  I held  the  chair  of  Zoology 
in  the  Imperial  University  of  Tokyo.  This  experience 
with  a related  people  may  add  slightly  to  the  value  of 
my  observations  in  China.  My  only  excuse  for  publish- 
ing them  is  that  they  deal  with  certain  phases  of  Chinese 
life,  which,  though  often  commented  upon  by  various 
writers,  have  rarely  been  depicted  by  sketches.  The 
drawings  themselves  are  reproduced  directly  from  my 
pen-and-ink  journal  sketches  made  on  the  spot  in  ill- 
lighted  rooms,  amidst  jostling  crowds,  and  wherever  a 
point  of  vantage  could  be  got  for  the  moment.  Nothing 
can  be  claimed  for  them  in  the  way  of  artistic  merit,  for 
they  have  none;  many  are  mere  sketch  memoranda, 
though  it  is  hoped  that  they  may  add  a few  points  to 
the  overwhelming  mass  of  facts  and  observations  which 
have  been  chronicled  for  the  last  few  hundred  years. 
Any  one  attempting  in  the  future  to  co-ordinate  the 
various  characteristics  of  this  bewildering  race  as  re- 
corded by  hosts  of  writers,  may  possibly  find  a few  items 

vii 


PREFACE 


to  utilize  in  this  material.  One  may  perhaps  judge  of 
the  weight  of  this  contribution  by  the  following  quota- 
tion from  the  preface  of  Arthur  B.  Smith’s  book  entitled 
“ Chinese  Characteristics.”  Dr.  Smith  was  for  twenty-two 
years  connected  with  the  American  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  in  China.  He  says:  “The  circumstance  that 
a person  has  lived  twenty-two  years  in  China  is  no  more 
a guarantee  that  he  is  competent  to  write  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  Chinese  than  the  fact  that  another  man 
has  lived  for  twenty-two  years  in  a silver  mine  is  proof 
that  he  is  a fit  person  to  compose  a treatise  on  metal- 
lurgy or  bi-metalism.”  This  is  unquestionably  too 
modest,  as  will  be  realized  by  any  one  who  has  read  his 
remarkable  analysis  of  Chinese  character,  yet  it  may 
stand  as  a warning  to  those  who  generalize  about  the 
Chinese  on  slight  acquaintance.  Whatever  conclusions 
I have  come  to,  superficial  as  they  may  be,  are  curiously 
borne  out  by  the  testimony  of  others  who  have  spent 
as  many  years  in  the  Empire  as  I have  days,  and  have 
travelled  as  many  thousand  miles  in  the  country  as  I 
have  single  miles. 

Most  of  this  material  appeared  first  in  a series  of  ar- 
ticles in  the  “American  Architect”  under  the  title  of 
“ Journal  Sketches  in  China,”  and  to  the  publishers  of 
that  journal,  and  to  its  editor,  Mr.  William  Rotch  Ware, 
I am  indebted  for  the  privilege  of  publishing  them  in 
book-form.  A number  of  sketches  have  been  added, 
as  well  as  numerous  notes  and  memoranda. 

viii 


PREFACE 


I desire  here  to  express  my  obligations  to  Mr.  Edward 
B.  Drew,  an  officer  in  the  Chinese  Custom  Service, 
for  many  courtesies  while  in  Shanghai;  to  Dr.  B.  E. 
Martin,  who  kindly  read  my  preliminary  manuscript; 
and,  finally,  to  Mr.  John  Robinson,  of  Salem,  who  has 
suggested  certain  additions  to  the  text. 


ix 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page 

I.  The  Yangtse  and  Shanghai 3 

II.  A Chinese  Home 25 

III.  A Chinese  Dinner 65 

IV.  A Backyard 75 

V.  A Chinese  Theatre  and  Prison 83 

VI.  A Peasant’s  House 95 

VII.  Canton 1 1 1 

VIII.  A Buddhist  Temple  and  the  Sacred  Hogs  . 143 

IX.  Howqua’s  Mansion 151 

X.  Tobacco  Pipes,  Examination  Hall,  Water  Clock, 

ETC 165 

XI.  A Soldiers’  Drill- Room 179 

XII.  A Potters’  Town 187 

XIII.  A Chinese  Mob 195 

Index 213 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Cook’s  house,  Canton 

Bird  made  of  hard  pottery  — Length  6)4  in. 

Vignette  on  title 

Doorway  in  Shanghai 

8 

Gateway,  native  city  of  Shanghai  .... 

n 

lO 

Pottery  yard,  Shanghai 

u 

12 

A common  Chinese  razor 

27 

Sedan  chairs,  Shanghai 

(( 

Court-yard : private  house,  Shanghai  . . . 

f( 

33 

Foot- warmer 

(( 

38 

Library,  private  house,  Shanghai  .... 

a 

39 

Writing-table,  etc 

(( 

41 

My  host’s  little  sister 

u 

43 

Sideboard  and  cupboard 

<< 

44 

Dining-room,  private  house,  Shanghai  . . . 

{{ 

46 

Baby’s  high  chair 

(( 

47 

Old  servant  washing  clothes 

(( 

48 

Backyard  of  house,  Shanghai 

n 

49 

Kitchen  range,  Shanghai 

(C 

51 

Back  porch  of  a Chinese  house 

<( 

53 

Kitchen 

it 

55 

Baskets  with  paper  to  be  burned  at  grave  . . 

(1 

56 

Garden  and  passageway 

(( 

59 

Female  slave  servant 

it 

61 

xiii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Diagram  of  table  

A study  of  roofs,  Shanghai 

Gateway : farmhouse  near  Shanghai 

Farmhouse  near  Shanghai 

Farmhouse  near  Shanghai 

Cotton-gin 

Device  for  cleaning  cotton 

A rude  wooden  spinning-wheel  used  by  the  country 

people 

Loom  for  making  cotton  cloth 

Cradle 

Baby  chair 

Woman’s  bedroom 

Pottery  pedler  on  Canton  River 

So-called  chair  in  which  one  travels 

Kitchen  range,  Canton 

Kitchen  shrine,  Canton 

Study-room  in  school 

Plaster  cast  of  compressed  feet 

Stringing  a bow 

View  from  city  wall.  Canton 

View  from  five-storied  pagoda.  Canton  .... 
Boats  on  river,  from  hotel  steps,  Canton  .... 
Dwarf  tree  in  Temple  Garden,  Canton  .... 

U ll  ((  U (i  C( 

((  (C  tc  U il  tt 

Ceremonial  gateway,  Howqua’s  house.  Canton  . . 

Kitchen,  Howqua’s  house.  Canton 


Page 

(( 

a 

(( 

<( 


66 

77 

96 

97 
99 


{( 


100 

101 


(< 

u 

{( 

u 

it 

a 

it 

it 

it 

it 

it 

it 

it 

it 

a 

it 

it 

it 

it 

it 


102 

103 

104 

105 

106 

II4 

117 

124 

125 

127 

130 

132 

134 

136 

138 

144 

145 

146 

153 

156 


XIV 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Rice  kettle,  Howqua’s  kitchen 157 

Third  side  of  Howqua’s  kitchen “158 

Lotus  pond,  Canton “159 

Alley  wall  and  cement  water-conductors,  Canton  . “ 16 1 

Tobacco  pipe  with  water  receptacle “165 

Tobacco  pipes,  etc “166 

Doorway  of  shop.  Canton ‘‘169 

Water-clock,  Canton **  17 1 

Examination  hall.  Canton ‘‘  i73 

Drill-room,  Canton “180 

Huge  iron  implements  resting  against  frame  ...  “ 181 

Drawing  heavy  bow.  Canton “ 182 

On  the  river  above  Canton *^190 

A potter  at  work *‘198 

The  crowd  on  the  river  bank 202 

Gateway  of  village 204 


XV 


I 

THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA  AND 
CHINESE  HOMES 


I 

THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 

Leaving  japan,  the  land  of  gentle  man- 
ners, rational  delights,  and  startling  sur- 
prises, I looked  forward  with  eagerness 
to  the  promised  glimpses  of  China,  the  mother 
nation  of  these  eastern  races  from  whom  they 
have  derived  the  arts  of  written  speech  and  about 
everything  else,  — a nation,  or,  perhaps  better,  a 
congeries  of  tribes  which  in  the  past  had  antici- 
pated the  Europeans  in  many  arts  and  inventions. 

Our  steamer  had  threaded  the  intricate  passage 
of  the  Inland  Sea  and  passed  through  the  Straits 
of  Shimonoseki  to  the  ocean  beyond.  From 
Shimonoseki  to  Shanghai  is  a comparatively 
short  passage ; to  go  from  Toky5  to  Hong  Kong 
is  a sail  of  over  twenty-five  hundred  miles.  So 
little  do  we  appreciate  distances  on  a crowded 

3 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


map  that  one  is  surprised  to  find  the  remoteness 
of  these  places  from  one  another.  We  were  sail- 
ino:  on  the  Yellow  Sea  and  the  waters  were  as 
blue  as  those  of  any  ocean,  but  we  were  yet 
one  hundred  and  forty  miles  from  the  Chinese 
coast. 

Within  one  hundred  miles  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Yangtse,  however,  the  sea  becomes  yellow  and 
the  water  opaque  from  the  mass  of  mud  brought 
down  by  this  great  river.  The  Yellow  Sea,  the 
name  of  which  I had  learned  in  my  early  school- 
days, was  now  clearly  understood,  so  much  better 
is  a single  object-lesson  than  pages  of  dull  de- 
scription. With  the  understanding  of  this  came 
also  a realization  of  the  mighty  changes  which 
are  slowly  taking  place  in  the  wearing  away  of 
land-surfaces  and  the  filling-up  of  sea-bottoms 
through  the  erosive  energy  of  water.  Here  was 
this  great  mass  of  water,  one  hundred  miles 
from  land,  made  noticeably  yellow  by  the  mix- 
ture of  fine  sediment  brought  down  by  the 
river.  I could  not  help  reflecting  that  if,  in  the 
future,  a yellow  flood  of  human  detritus  should 
overrun  Europe  and  America  it  would  render 
civilization  just  as  opaque  and  make  shallow  the 

4 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 


great  depths  which  mark  the  intellectual  suprem- 
acy of  our  race  to-day. 

We  anchored  at  midnight  some  miles  within 
the  mouth  of  the  river  and  at  dawn  started  again, 
still,  apparently,  in  mid-ocean,  as  no  land  could 
be  seen  on  either  side.  The  river  at  this  point 
is  forty  miles  wide,  and  one  realizes  its  magnitude 
when  he  is  told  that  for  eight  hundred  miles  the 
river  is  deep  enough  to  float  the  largest  ships. 
We  sailed  for  an  hour  and  more  and  the  expanse 
of  water  seemed  illimitable.  Gradually  we  neared 
the  southern  shore,  and  long,  low  stretches  of 
land  came  in  sight.  The  scene  was  desolate  to 
the  last  degree.  The  vessels  we  passed  were 
numerous  and  quaint ; we  had  seen  such  craft 
figured  in  books  and  were  familiar  with  their 
models  in  the  museum  at  Salem,  but  here  were  the 
veritable  objects  : fishing-boats,  trading-vessels,  en- 
gaged in  the  enormous  coast-wise  traffic,  and  war- 
junks.  The  fishing-boats  had  a huge  dipping-net 
standing  up  like  a sail  on  either  side  of  the  boat, 
and  not  on  one  side,  as  I had  noticed  in  Japan. 

My  attention  was  soon  attracted  to  the  peculiar 
features  of  the  land,  which  was  covered,  so  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  with  low  mounds.  It  pre- 

5 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

sented  the  appearance  of  a salt-marsh  covered 
with  hay-cocks.  My  first  impression  was  that 
they  were  prehistoric  mounds,  and  consequently 
offered  a great  field  for  the  archaeologist.  I soon 
learned  that  these  mounds,  extending  to  the  very 
horizon,  were  simply  ancestral  tombs,  or  burial 
places.  Here,  then,  we  had,  even  before  landing, 
a glimpse  of  how  a baleful  superstition  could 
arrest  the  progress  and  development  of  a people. 
Not  only  was  a vast  amount  of  arable  land 
thrown  forever  out  of  cultivation  by  these  sur- 
face-consuming sepulchres,  but  the  necromancers 
insist  that  no  road  shall  be  built  through  them, 
nor  must  the  shadow  of  a telegraph  pole  or  wire 
fall  upon  them.  One  no  longer  wonders  that 
there  are  so  few  roads  in  China.  Some  slight 
respect  might  be  felt  for  this  superstition  if 
these  mounds  showed  any  evidences  of  tender 
regard  or  care  for  the  dead.  A closer  examina- 
tion, however,  shows  them  to  be  in  the  most  ne- 
glected and  dilapidated  condition.  The  contrast 
between  their  treatment  and  the  treatment  of 
similar  places  in  Japan,  where  graves  three  hun- 
dred years  old  even  are  still  freshly  decorated 
with  flowers,  is  striking. 

6 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 


After  sailing  for  several  hours,  entertained  by 
the  diversified  craft  on  the  water  and  depressed 
by  the  dismal  and  monotonous  landscape  beyond, 
we  turned  into  the  Shanghai  River,  and,  crossing 
the  bar,  after  another  hour’s  sail,  reached  Shang- 
hai and  came  to  anchor.  I noticed  the  little 
boats  as  they  came  out  or  floated  by  were  brown 
with  dirt  and  grease;  indeed,  the  woodwork  re- 
minded one  of  the  inside  of  a hut  for  smoking 
bacon.  My  standards  of  comparison  were  always 
with  Japan,  and  this  was  certainly  unfair,  but 
there  came  to  me  the  memory  of  Japan,  where 
the  woodwork  of  boats  recalled  the  cleanliness  of 
a Quaker  kitchen  and  even  the  sewage-buckets 
came  back  from  the  country  scoured  like  milk- 
churns.  The  memory  of  Japanese  cleanliness 
rendered  all  the  more  shocking  the  ‘ exceeding 
dirt  of  this  people. 

The  foreign  city  of  Shanghai,  with  its  beautiful 
buildings,  fine  streets  and  parks,  has  often  been 
described,  and  the  contrast,  as  one  passes  from 
its  spacious  avenues  to  the  dirt  and  squalor  of 
the  Chinese  quarter,  is  appalling.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  realize  that  this  great  object-lesson 
of  order,  elegance,  cleanliness,  and  comfort  is 

7 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


looked  upon  by  the  Chinese  with  supreme 
contempt. 


When  I looked  out  of  my  hotel  window  the 
next  morning  a glimpse  of  one  form  of  Chinese 
architecture  was  in  view  just  across  the  street. 
It  was  a typical  doorway  of  a business  enclosure, 

8 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 


and  a sketch  of  one  is  a sketch  of  all.  The  vari- 
ous mouldings  and  the  ornaments  over  the  door- 
way were  very  elaborate,  and  nothing  short  of  a 
painstaking  drawing  or  photograph  could  do  jus- 
tice to  the  work.  The  little  groups  of  carved 
human  figures  and  pheasants,  brightly  colored, 
and  tinsel-like  accessories,  might  have  meant 
something  to  the  Chinese  brain,  but  they  looked 
trivial  and  insecure  for  the  entablature  of  a door- 
way. Whole  streets  in  the  foreign  quarter  are 
lined  with  these  rather  high,  windowless  walls. 
Some  of  them  had  stone  or  glazed  pottery  panels 
with  figures  of  flowers  moulded  in  high-relief. 
The  ridges  of  these  walls  gracefully  turned  in 
broad  curves,  and  the  imbricated  coping  of  roof- 
ing tiles,  bedded  in  cement,  presented  features 
that  our  architects  might  study  with  profit. 

After  breakfast  I hunted  up  Mr.  Edward  B. 
Drew,  an  American  by  birth  and  an  officer  in 
the  Chinese  custom-service  to  whom  I had  a 
letter  and  who  during  my  short  stay  in  Shang- 
hai greatly  facilitated  my  work.  His  father 
kindly  offered  to  go  with  me  to  the  native 
city  of  Shanghai.  It  should  be  explained  here 
that  the  Chinese  towns  are  surrounded  by  high 

9 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

walls  having  several  gates  which  are  closed  at 
night. 

The  irregular  lanes  which  function  as  streets, 
with  the  filth  and  noise  of  these  overcrowded 
communities  are  intolerable  to  our  race,  and  one. 


Gateway t native  city  of  Shanghai 


therefore,  finds  at  Shanghai,  Canton,  Tientsin,  and 
other  cities  a concession  of  land  upon  which  the 
foreigner  lives  apart,  with  his  own  ideas  of  streets, 
buildings,  and  cleanliness.  This,  then,  was  the 
foreign  city  of  Shanghai,  with  its  imposing  build- 
ings ; villas  with  well-kept  lawns  and  gardens ; 
broad  avenues  and  open  parks  modelled  after  our 
own  ways  and  presenting  the  leading  character- 


10 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 


istics  of  our  well-ordered  cities.  The  dwellings, 
with  their  open  character  and  their  broad  veran- 
das, have  just  enough  flavor  of  native  architecture 
to  add  piquancy  to  the  effect,  and  the  Chinese 
nurses,  with  strange  coiffures  and  silken  gar- 
ments of  curious  fashion,  accompanying  little 
English  boys  and  girls,  present  a continual  series 
of  interesting  sights  to  the  foreigner  when  he 
first  lands.  Then  in  contrast  is  the  ancient 
walled  city  of  Shanghai,  out  of  whose  dungeon- 
like gates  swarm  a living  stream  of  natives,  re- 
minding one  of  a colossal  ants*  nest. 

As  we  neared  the  city  the  swarm  and  bustle 
increased,  — an  eager,  active  crowd,  pushing,  jost- 
ling, shouting,  and  intent  on  getting  somewhere 
with  their  multifarious  loads  swinging  from  the 
ends  of  their  carrying-poles,  which  they  deftly 
guided  through  this  dense  current  of  humanity. 

The  grim  walls  of  the  city  towered  just  beyond 
a bridge  which  spanned  a narrow  canal  filled 
with  all  manner  of  liquid  impurities.  The  walls 
were  crenellated  for  cannon,  but  no  cannon 
could  be  seen,  and  with  their  massive  thickness 
and  rounded  buttresses  they  presented  a most 
formidable  appearance.  Outside  the  wall  were 


II 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

piled  to  a great  height  pottery  jars  of  all  descrip- 
tions. It  was  a veritable  lumber-yard  of  pottery. 


Pottery  Yard,  Shanghai 


There  must  have  been  thousands  of  pots  and  jars 
in  these  accumulations.  They  were  piled  up  in 
regular  and  solid  masses  nearly  to  the  height  of 
the  city’s  walls,  — huge  water-jars,  bathing-tubs. 


12 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 


flower-pots,  etc.,  all  of  coarse  pottery  with  brown 
or  green  glaze.  One  wondered  if  they  ever 
tumbled  down,  and  wondered  still  more  how  they 
had  been  piled  up  to  such  a height  and  so 
securely. 

As  we  entered  the  city  the  crowd  became 
denser,  and  such  a swarm  of  shabbily  dressed, 
men  and  boys  I never  saw  before.  Now  and  then 
a mandarin,  with  his  brocade  and  silken  vest 
ments,  rendered  more  striking  by  contrast  the 
squalor  of  this  unkempt  crowd.  A few  women 
and  children  were  being  hustled  in  this  living 
stream  which  incessantly  flowed  in  and  out  of 
the  gateway.  We  passed  through  by  dint  of 
much  dodging,  and  became  one  with  the  innu- 
merable mass  that  filled  the  irregular-running 
streets.  Palanquins,  each  with  a number  of 
bearers,  swinging  along  and  crowding  obstructors 
to  the  wall ; peasants,  with  buckets  hanging  from 
the  ends  of  long  carrying-poles  containing  the 
sewage  of  the  city,  rudely  sweeping  by,  shouting, 
and  by  no  means  careful  whether  they  brushed 
you  with  their  filthy  receptacles  or  not;  water- 
carriers  moving  rapidly  along  with  slouching  step 
in  cadence  with  the  oscillations  of  their  carrying- 

13 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


poles,  their  legs  fairly  buckling  under  them  from 
the  enormous  weight  they  were  bearing,  and  call- 
ing out  in  curious  cries  to  make  a way;  wheel- 
barrows loaded  with  market  produce  and  human 
freight  as  well,  awkwardly  jamming  into  the 
crowd,  all  combined,  made  an  impression  never 
to  be  effaced.  Everybody  was  dirty,  and  the  sur- 
roundings were  dirty  and  old.  The  city  looked 
as  though  it  had  never  been  swept  or  cleaned,  and 
it  never  had.  Mediaeval  microbes  and  prehistoric 
odors  were  always  in  evidence;  many  buildings 
going  to  ruin,  and,  apparently,  nobody  with  time  or 
interest  enough  to  arrest  the  decay.  Indeed,  in 
my  brief  experience  in  China,  I do  not  recall  the 
sight  of  any  one  repairing  or  cleaning  a building. 

The  street  sights,  as  in  all  Oriental  cities,  were 
of  abounding  interest.  Here  was  a group  of  little  ^ 
boys  gambling  with  copper  cash  and  wildly  and 
noisily  gesticulating.  The  Chinese  are  born  gam- 
blers, and  their  various  methods  and  intricate 
games  of  chance  render  poker,  to  them,  a kinder- 
garten game.  In  a little  open  space,  wet  and 
muddy,  was  a wreck  of  a street  juggler,  ragged 
and  dirty  to  the  last  but  one  degree,  with  an 
assistant  reaching  the  last  degree  of  dirt  and 

14 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 

dilapidation.  The  properties  with  which  they 
played  were  equally  squalid,  — a basket,  a rag,  a 
wooden  doll,  a cup,  a few  bamboo  tubes,  and 
other  junk-shop  material.  Now,  the  marvel  was 
to  see  these  vagabonds,  with  vagabond  material, 
play  the  most  wonderful  sleight-of-hand  tricks. 
After  seeing  these  wrecks  perform,  I could  well 
believe  some  of  the  marvellous  stories  about  the 
Indian  jugglers.  A circle  of  admiring  men  and 
boys  surrounded  them,  and  despite  the  danger  of 
contagion,  for  at  that  time  the  people  were  dying 
by  hundreds  of  small-pox,  and  one  passed  on 
the  street  cases  showing  full  efflorescence,  I joined 
the  ring.  The  ancient  trick  of  sword-swallowing 
was  done  with  a long,  rusty  sword,  and  there  was 
no  trick  about  it,  for  the  rusty  blade  was  literally 
thrust  down  the  stomach.  The  man  had  picked 
me  out  as  a victim,  and  with  body  inclined  and 
straightened  he  came  directly  to  me  and  held  out 
his  hand,  nor  would  he  remove  the  sword  till  I 
had  given  him  some  money,  the  crowd,  mean- 
while, eying  me  and  derisively  shouting.  When 
he  withdrew  the  sword,  tears  flowed  from  his  eyes 
and  copious  phlegm  ran  from  his  mouth.  It  was 
a most  painful  and  disgusting  sight. 

15 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


It  was  an  odd  experience  to  have  to  provide 
one’s  self  with  a little  bag  in  which  to  keep  small 
fragments  and  crumbs  of  silver  in  lieu  of  coin 
in  order  to  purchase  anything  in  the  shops,  the 
shop-keeper  furnishing  the  little  scales  which, 
according  to  all  authorities,  never  weighs  in  the 
buyer’s  favor.  The  whole  transaction  reminded 
one  of  a miner’s  camp  where  gold  dust  is  used 
as  currency.  But  fancy  this  primitive  method  in 
the  great  cities  of  Shanghai,  Canton,  and  other 
places. 

In  purchasing  objects  at  the  shops,  the  Chinese 
seem  less  solicitous  for  trading  than  the  Japanese, 
though  they  do  not  allow  a chance  to  escape  to 
sell  you  something. 

Our  guide  was  to  take  us  to  a famous  tea- 
house, and  the  remembrance  of  the  Japanese 
tea-house,  with  its  exquisite  neatness,  simple  and 
satisfying  surroundings,  and  quiet  demeanor  of 
the  attendants  — all  girls  — was  fresh  in  my 
mind,  so  I looked  forward  with  interest  to  the 
sight  of  a Chinese  tea-house,  and  a famous  one 
at  that.  I felt  assured  that  here,  at  least,  were 
to  be  seen  some  attractive  features  in  the  way  of 
cleanliness  and  pleasant  surroundings,  — some 

i6 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 

contrast  to  the  squalor  through  which  we  had 
been  roaming  during  the  morning.  I fully  ex- 
pected to  have  a new  experience,  and  here  was 
the  tea-house : a two-storied  building  in  typical 
Chinese  style,  certainly  quaint  in  its  architecture, 
and  recalling  the  pictures  one  sees  rudely  de- 
picted on  blue-and-white  china.  The  building 
rose  from  the  centre  of  a pond,  and  was  ap- 
proached by  a zigzag  bridge.  Now  the  house, 
bridge,  and  pond  were  in  an  equally  dirty  condi- 
tion. The  water  was  covered  with  a green  slime 
and  emitted  foul  odors.  We  crossed  the  bridge, 
entered  the  building,  and  found  our  way  to  the 
second  story.  Taking  a seat  at  one  of  the  tables, 
we  ordered  the  usual  tea,  which  was  brought  to 
us  by  a male  attendant,  in  large  covered  porcelain 
cups,  accompanied  by  a tray  full  of  unsavory-look- 
ing cakes.  If  there  is  one  evidence  above  another 
of  the  absence  of  all  artistic  tastes  among  the 
masses  in  China,  the  appearance  of  the  food 
alone  might  be  offered.  In  Japan,  the  little  street 
booths  exhibit  a variety  of  cake,  rice-balls  with 
fish  on  top,  and  confectionery,  and  these  are 
all  made  in  tasteful  forms  and  moulds.  The 
Japanese  not  only  enjoy  the  simple  art  displayed 

17 


2 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

in  all  such  matters,  but  seem  capable  everywhere 
of  fabricating  tasteful-looking  objects.  The  Chi- 
nese tea  offered  us,  was  far  more  to  the  foreigner’s 
taste  than  is  the  best  of  the  Japanese.  One  of 
the  unsavory-looking  cakes  was  carefully  dis- 
sected. Its  contents  appeared  to  be  closely 
chopped  vegetables  or  fruit  or  something  else, 
and  its  taste  resembled  the  odor  of  mouldy  salve. 
A dish  of  finely  chopped  ginger  sprouts  salted 
was  exceedingly  good ; the  preserves  were  rather 
too  sweet  for  our  taste ; the  tea  was  perfectly 
delicious.  At  a table  near  us  were  three  man- 
darins, and,  judging  by  their  fine  clothing,  evi- 
dently of  the  better  class.  They  looked  at  us 
inquiringly  for  a while,  and  finally  one  of  them 
arose,  crossed  to  our  table,  and  shook  hands  with 
Mr.  Drew,  who  thereupon  presented  him  to  me 
as  one  of  the  famous  class  of  Hartford  students 
who  were  all  recalled  by  the  Government  while  in 
the  midst  of  their  studies.  The  two  others  then 
came  to  our  table  and  an  interchange  of  intro- 
duction followed.  Mr.  Drew  explained  to  them 
my  desire  to  see  the  interior  of  a Chinese  house, 
and  one  of  them,  turning  to  me,  said  that  he  and 
his  companions  had  all  been  so  kindly  treated  in 

i8 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 

America  when  students  at  Hartford  that  they 
would  be  only  too  pleased  if  they  could  be  of 
any  service  to  me.  Gladly  accepting  their  kind 
offers  as  hosts  and  guides,  I promptly  dismissed 
my  guide  who  had  brought  me  hither,  and  under 
their  lead  at  once  started  off  on  a round  of  inves- 
tigation. 

It  was  a rare  and  interesting  experience  to  ran- 
sack the  native  city  with  three  mandarins  dressed, 
of  course,  in  their  full  Chinese  costume,  with 
their  long  queues  hanging  down  behind.  All 
of  them  spoke  English  without  an  accent ; they 
were  even  familiar  with  our  peculiar  New  Eng- 
land idioms,  and  even  with  our  slang.  As  an 
illustration : I stopped  to  buy  some  trifle  at  a 
shop,  when  one  of  them  said,  “ Oh,  come  along, 
Mr.  Morse,  don’t  bother  with  him,  the  fellow’s 
giving  you  taffy.” 

It  was,  indeed,  a rare  opportunity,  and  it  was 
through  their  help  that  I was  enabled  to  make 
many  sketches  of  house  interiors.  One  of  them 
kindly  invited  me  to  his  home.  How  he  ever 
found  his  way  there  is  a mystery  to  me  to  this 
day.  It  was  a long  walk  through  a tangled  laby- 
rinth of  narrow  and  exceedingly  crooked  streets. 

19 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


On  entering  his  house  we  apparently  passed 
through  the  side  of  a shop  and  came  to  an  open 
court-yard.  From  there  we  passed  into  a kind  of 
reception-hall  used  by  two  families  in  common.  A 
side  entrance  from  this  led  us  into  a more  secluded 
reception-hall.  His  little  sister  came  out  to  meet 
us  and  I held  her  for  a moment,  but  she  seemed 
very  shy,  as  well  she  might,  for  she  had  never 
been  so  near  a “ foreign  devil  ” before.  A little 
brother,  equally  shy,  stayed  by  me  for  a while 
despite  his  fears.  I was  shown  rapidly  through 
the  ground-floor  of  the  house,  including  the 
kitchen  and  servants’  quarters,  but,  as  my  friend 
had  invited  me  to  dinner  the  following  day,  made 
only  brief  memoranda  of  the  points  that  had 
interested  me.  The  most  serious  matter  was 
the  very  primitive  and  objectionable  features  con- 
nected with  the  sanitary  arrangements.  I have 
dealt  with  this  subject  elsewhere,^  but  must  insist 
that  in  these  respects  the  Chinese  are  degraded 
to  the  last  degree,  and  one  wonders,  if  such  con- 
ditions prevail  throughout  the  Empire,  how  the 
nation  should  number  four  hundred  millions, 
whereas,  if  they  belonged  to  the  same  species 

1 “Latrines  of  the  East,”  American  Architect,  March  i8,  1S93. 

20 


THE  YANGTSE  AND  SHANGHAI 


with  ourselves,  they  should  all  have  been  swept 
off  the  face  of  the  earth  centuries  ago.  Entering 
a room  called  the  study,  or  library,  we  were  in- 
vited to  sit ; a servant  brought  us  a light  refresh- 
ment consisting  of  fried  peanuts,  oranges,  and  a 
little  root  which  had  a delicious  crisp  taste.  The 
root  was  dug  from  the  river-mud  and  was  quite 
new  to  me.  I enjoyed  it,  not  having  seen  the 
river.  Wondering  how  I should  dispose  of  my 
orange-peel  and  peanut-shells,  I was  told  to  throw 
them  on  the  floor ! The  floor,  it  may  be  added, 
was  apparently  mother-earth,  — damp,  cold,  and 
nearly  black  in  color,  in  fact,  a continuation  of 
the  street  surface.  Doubtless,  the  floor  was  tiled  : 
the  dirt,  however,  obscured  all  traces  of  it. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  my  compan- 
ions guided  me  to  the  gate  of  the  city  by  which 
we  had  entered  in  the  morning.  After  passing 
through  a densely  settled  Chinese  area  and 
coming  into  wide  streets  and  fresh  air,  it  was 
like  passing  out  of  a noisome  pit  into  health- 
giving daylight.  Outside  the  city-walls  there 
is  an  immense  Chinese  population,  outnumber- 
ing the  foreigners  thirty  to  one.  At  the  time 
I was  in  Shanghai  the  foreigners  numbered 


21 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


three  thousand,  while  the  Chinese,  outside  the 
native  city,  numbered  sixty  thousand.  At  the 
present  time  the  numbers  have  been  mentioned 
as  five  thousand  and  two  hundred  thousand 
respectively. 


22 


A CHINESE  HOME 


II 


A CHINESE  HOME 

The  next  morning,  one  of  my  Chinese 
acquaintances  of  the  day  before  came 
to  the  hotel  to  guide  me  again  through 
the  entangled  channels  of  the  native  city,  and  to 
take  me  to  his  house  to  dinner  instead  of  to  the 
house  where  I was  first  invited.  We  entered  by 
a different  gate,  yet  the  same  throng  of  people 
were  pouring  in  and  out,  and  the  walls  about  the 
gate  had  the  same  huge  piles  of  pottery  in  great 
blocks.  We  traversed  the  same  narrow  and  tor- 
tuous alleys,  were  assailed  with  the  same  odors 
and  hustled  by  the  same  rude,  hurrying  crowd  of 
water-bearers,  sewage-luggers,  market-men,  and  a 
hundred  other  varieties  of  two-legged  carriers.  It 
was  a puzzle  as  to  what  they  were  all  about  and 
why  they  were  in  such  haste.  In  the  toting  of 
heavy  loads  one  might  imagine  the  hurry  to  get 
rid  of  the  swinging  weight,  but  everybody  seemed 
to  be  impelled  by  a restless  or  nervous  energy, 

25 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


and  yet  no  race  shows  more  the  absence  of 
what  we  call  restlessness  or  nervousness  than 
the  Chinese. 

A second  view  of  the  city  opened  new  sights. 
A peculiar  effect  is  produced  by  the  shop-signs, 
which  are  hung  at  right  angles  from  the  shops 
and  when  free  hang  vertically,  as  the  Chinese 
characters  are  read  in  vertical  lines.  These 
signs  were  of  all  sizes,  and  the  characters  were 
in  gilt  or  red.  Over  the  door  and  on  the  sides 
of  the  posts  were  strips  of  paper  upon  which 
characters  were  written. 

Dr.  Gustave  Schlegel,^  professor  of  Chinese  at 
the  University  of  Leiden,  has  translated  a number 
of  these  inscriptions,  and  they  ran  as  follows : 
“ Preserve  your  virtue.”  “ Spring’s  brightness  is 
the  first  boon.”  “ The  heart  preserved.”  “ Spring 
never  grows  old,”  etc.  He  says  these  inscriptions 
often  have  afar-fetched  meaning  and  for  the  most 
part  are  neither-  understood  by  the  owner  who 
pastes  them  upon  the  lintels  and  door-posts  of 
his  house,  nor  by  the  writer  who  wrote  them. 

The  narrow  streets,  curving  often,  and  the  pro- 
jecting signs,  with  the  close  crowds  filling  the 

1 Internationales  archiv  fur  Ethnographie,  Vol.  VII. 

26 


A CHINESE  HOME 


entire  thoroughfare  from  side  to  side,  give  one 
a smothered  sensation.  From  the  open  charac- 
ter of  the  shop-front  and  the  many  occupations 
going  on  in  the  street,  one  is  brought  into  most 
intimate  contact  with  the  people.  Such  a be- 


wildering medley  of  sights,  here  a barber  shaving 
and  dressing  the  head,  using  a primitive-looking 
razor  and  having  in  addition  a long  ear-spoon 
and  a washbowl  of  dirty  water ; another  individ- 
ual marking  the  direction  on  some  package  in 
curious  characters  ; a tailor  pressing  a piece  of 

27 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


cloth  with  a flatiron  in  the  shape  of  a long- 
handled  dipper  filled  with  burning  charcoal, 
and  at  all  times  these  people  may  be  seen  sip- 
ping their  cups  of  tea,  and  this  is  done  in  a slow 
and  methodical  way.  Porcelain-shops  and  metal- 
shops  seem  to  predominate,  probably  on  account 
of  the  cleanliness  of  the  “ blue  and  white/’  and 
the  hammering  noise  emitted  by  shops  of  the 
other  kind.  Restaurants  were  numerous,  but 
the  unsavory  dishes  offended  the  eye  as  well 
as  the  nose.  Their  markets  display  the  most 
dubious  looking  messes,  dirty  dried  fish,  dried 
shrimps,  smoked  ducks,  a bright  yellow  cheese- 
curd-looking  substance,  small  seeds  of  some  kind 
partially  sprouted,  little  bits  of  some  kind  of  a 
nut  done  up  in  a fragment  of  fresh  palm-leaf, 
large  shallow  trays  filled  with  the  tiniest  dried 
fish,  and  a multitude  of  other  unknown  edibles. 

Their  drug  stores  with  pounded  snakes,  dried 
lizards,  gall  stones,  and  other  equally  absurd  sub- 
stances, would  drive  a modern  pharmacist  stark 
mad  to  contemplate. 

On  our  way  to  the  house  where  we  were  to 
dine,  we  stopped  at  a few  Buddhist  temples,  and 
these  were  so  dirty  and  dilapidated  that  any  de- 

28 


A CHINESE  HOME 


scription  of  their  lamentable  condition  would  seem 
exaggerated.  It  was  shocking  to  see  the  root  of 
a tree  prying  off  some  delicate  bit  of  stone  carv- 
ing from  an  entablature,  and  no  one  in  the  land 
with  wit  or  enterprise  enough  to  cut  off  the 
offending  root  and  save  the  structure.  We 
stopped  at  one  house  to  invite  a companion  of 
the  day  before  to  dine  with  us.  He  was  still 
abed,  though  it  was  past  ten  o’clock,  and  so, 
while  waiting,  I had  an  opportunity  to  see  a 
coffin-maker’s  place,  for  that  was  the  trade  of 
his  family.  Whether  the  occupation  of  coffin- 
making is  considered  respectable  in  China  I do 
not  know,  but  a friend  of  mine,  whose  family 
name  is  Coffin,  on  being  presented  to  our 
Chinese  minister,  Mr.  Wu,  brought  out  the 
brusque  response  that  he  ought  not  to  have 
such  a name.  I examined  the  stock-in-trade. 
The  coffins  were  huge  affairs,  the  best  ones 
being  made  of  thick  planks.  In  these  chests 
the  body  is  closely  packed  with  powdered  char- 
coal and  may  be  kept  in  the  house  for  weeks 
before  final  interment. 

In  passing  some  carpenters  at  work  I noticed 
that  many  of  the  tools  were  identical  in  form  to 

29 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


those  used  by  the  Japanese;  the  wood-lathe  was 
used  in  the  same  way ; the  blacksmith’s  bellows, 
in  the  form  of  a large  square  box  with  a square 
piston  working  back  and  forth,  was  the  same. 
The  blacksmith,  however,  stood  at  his  work  and 
the  anvil  was  raised  from  the  ground.  In  Japan, 
the  blacksmith  sits  on  the  ground  and  may  be 
seen  pulling  the  bellows  with  one  foot,  while  the 
other  foot  is  bent  under  him,  the  anvil  being  on 
a level  with  the  ground,  the  helper,  however, 
standing  at  his  work. 

China,  I soon  realized,  was  a land  of  tables, 
chairs,  and  bedsteads,  and  men  stand  at  their 
work.  Their  legs  are  long  and  well  formed,  and 
the  Manchus,  as  a class,  are  physically  well  built. 
It  is  a common  impression  with  many  that  the 
short  and  often  bent  legs  of  the  Japanese  are  due 
to  their  custom  of  sitting  for  many  hours  at  their 
work  with  their  legs  bent  under  them.  If  it  could 
be  proved  that  the  shortness  of  their  legs  was  due 
to  this  universal  custom  of  sitting,  — which  I do 
not  believe,  — here  would  be  a good  example  of 
the  transmission  of  an  acquired  trait. 

As  we  approached  the  place  where  we  were  to 
dine  I was  told,  on  inquiry,  that  the  house  repre- 

30 


A CHINESE  HOME 


sented  a dwelling  of  the  better  class.  I asked 
my  host  if  there  were  any  streets  or  regions  in 


the  city  specially  noted  for  their  finer  houses, 
and  he  said,  “No;  you  will  find  the  house  of  a 

31 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

rich  man  adjacent  to  the  hovel  of  the  poor.”  In 
other  words,  there  is  no  West  End  or  Fifth  Ave- 
nue, so  to  speak.  This  condition  was  precisely 
what  I found  in  the  cities  of  Japan. 

The  entrance  to  the  house  was  not  unlike  the 
one  we  visited  the  day  before.  We  first  entered 
an  open  court  surrounded  by  a high  brick  wall, 
which,  in  turn,  opened  into  an  inner  court,  on  our 
way  passing  a large  room  in  which  were  a few 
palanquins,  or  chairs,  as  the  foreigners  call  them, 
a carriage-house  in  fact.  In  entering  the  inner 
court-yard  we  could  look  into  the  general  recep- 
tion-room directly  opposite  the  main  entrance. 
On  the  sides  of  this  court-yard  were  rooms  which 
were  designed  as  studies  or  libraries.  A tiled 
roof,  supported  by  upright  posts,  projected  from 
the  eaves,  and  had  there  been  a floor  beneath,  a 
veranda  would  have  been  provided  for  these  va- 
rious rooms.  The  court-yard  was  paved  with 
square  stones,  and  was  fairly  clean.  The  main 
entrance  to  the  court-yard  had  an  elaborate  entab- 
lature, too  intricate  for  me  to  sketch  in  the  lim- 
ited time  at  my  disposal.  At  night  all  the  doors 
are  closed  and  barred,  and  this  feature,  with  the 
high  surrounding  walls  of  brick,  presented  a 

32 


A CHINESE  HOME 


marked  contrast  to  the  unprotected  and  open 
character  of  the  Japanese  house.  On  either  side 
of  the  court-yard  entrance  were  huge  pottery  jars 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  water.  From  the 


court-yard  we  entered  the  library,  and  here  the 
family  immediately  gathered  about  me,  all  except 
a daughter,  aged  seventeen,  who  was  as  much  a 
prisoner  as  any  felon.  Later  I was  shown  through 
the  house,  and  having  seen  several  rooms  on  the 
ground-floor,  I asked  particularly  to  see  the  girl’s 
bed-chamber,  which  was  in  the  second  story.  The 
appearance  of  my  own  daughter’s  chamber  was 
recalled,  with  its  pictures  and  souvenirs  on  the 
3 33 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


wall,  and  the  dainty  trifles  which  brought  up  so 
many  pleasant  memories  of  parties,  picnics,  and 
journeys  abroad.  My  host  regretfully  told  me 
that  it  was  impossible  to  grant  this  reasonable 
request;  if  I were  allowed  even  a glimpse  of  his 
sister’s  chamber  it  might  be  reported  by  the  ser- 
vants and  her  chance  of  marriage  might  be  im- 
perilled. He  further  told  me  that  even  the  lower 
classes  were  particular  in  these  matters.  Even 
the  most  intimate  friend  of  the  family  would  not 
be  allowed  to  go  upstairs. 

Until  this  experience  I never  fully  realized  the 
condition  of  women  of  the  more  favored  classes 
in  China,  though  their  unhappy  lot  has  been  re- 
peatedly described  in  works  on  the  subject.  At 
the  outset  the  girl’s  feet  are  compressed  in  a cruel 
fashion,  so  that  a dull  pain  is  endured  for  a year 
or  two,  and  in  some  instances  mortification  of  the 
parts  takes  place  and  the  child  dies;  with  no  re- 
course to  books,  as  she  is  unable  to  read  or  write ; 
at  the  as:e  of  twelve  or  thirteen  immured  in  the 
house  like  a prisoner,  with  the  privilege,  however, 
of  an  occasional  visit  to  some  intimate  female 
friend  of  the  family  or  a near  relative,  and  this 
visit  made  in  a closed  palanquin;  at  marriageable 

34 


A CHINESE  HOME 


age  compelled  to  unite  with  a man  she  has  never 
seen  and  knows  nothing  about,  and  consequently 
with  no  choice  in  the  matter,  — all  of  which  you 
say  is  barbarous,  and  so*  do  I.  This,  however, 
has  been  the  custom  for  centuries,  and  a custom 
in  China  is  a thousand  times  more  unmodifiable 
than  with  us. 

Bearing  in  mind  this  custom  of  rigid  exclusion 
of  the  women  from  every  walk  of  life  for  ages,  let 
us  try  faintly  to  imagine  how  to  them  must 
appear  an  aggressive  female  missionary  boldly 
walking  the  streets  in  open  daylight  in  a garb 
which  seems  highly  disreputable,  not  to  say  in- 
decent, to  the  Chinese,  and  endeavoring,  in  very 
deficient  lingo,  to  induce  the  people  to  come  to 
her  compound  and  listen  to  teachings  as  alien  to 
Chinese  beliefs,  crowded  as  they  are  with  super- 
stitions, as  are  the  teachings  of  Ingersoll  to  the 
strictest  Presbyterian  doctrine.  I could  not  help 
picturing  what  the  effect  on  our  people  would  be 
with  the  conditions  reversed,  and  if  a strange  and 
powerful  people  by  armed  force  should  impose 
upon  us  a treaty  in  which  had  been  surrepti- 
tiously inserted  a clause  whereby  their  mission- 
aries might  own  property  and  preach  their 

35 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

dogmas  throughout  our  country.  Furthermore, 
for  just  comparison,  the  female  proselytes  of  this 
cult  should  be  seen  in  our  streets  with  painted 
cheeks,  dyed  hair,  and  garments  extremely  short 
at  either  extremity,  and  riding  savagely  down  the 
street  on  a bicycle.  Whatever  horrid  lie  might 
be  told  about  such  people  would  certainly  be 
believed  by  our  masses,  just  as  the  shocking  lies 
told  about  our  missionaries  are  fully  believed  in 
China.  It  can  be  stated,  without  a shadow  of 
doubt,  that  our  female  missionaries  present  quite 
as  shocking  a sight  to  the  Chinese  as  would  be 
to  us  the  apparition  I have  just  described.  Now 
we  all  know  and  admire  the  heroism  which 
prompts  our  women  to  part  from  family  and 
friends  and  enter  into  the  arduous  work  of  “ con- 
verting the  heathen.”  In  their  work  of  introduc- 
ing a new  religion,  the  propriety  of  which  many 
question,  they  teach  them  at  least  the  laws  of 
hygiene,  proper  medical  practice,  the  virtue  of 
telling  the  truth,  of  being  prompt,  and  set  before 
them  the  living  example  of  self-sacrifice  and  de- 
votion for  the  good  of  others,  and  yet  these 
Chinese  savages  have  brutally  undone  all  these 
workers  have  accomplished,  not  only  by  murder- 

36 


A CHINESE  HOME 


ing  the  missionaries,  but  by  slaughtering  the 
native  converts  by  thousands.  It  is  a pitiful 
tragedy,  and  yet,  judging  from  the  outbreaks 
within  a year  in  New  York,  Ohio,  and  Louisiana, 
just  such  tragedies  would  be  possible  in  our 
blessed  land,  if  the  conditions  were  reversed. 

One  of  the  reasons  why  the  Catholic  Church 
attains  greater  success  than  the  Protestants  in 
China  is  that  its  missionaries  are  men,  its 
preachers  are  men,  the  Jesuit  dresses  in  Chinese 
garb,  he  lives  among  them  and  becomes  one  of 
them  ; he  is  careful  not  to  interfere  with  their 
superstitions  only  so  far  as  these  interfere  with 
his  own,  and  is  especially  careful  not  to  inveigh 
against  the  foot-crushing  mutilation.  His  in- 
cense-burning, bead-counting,  and  picturesque 
ritual  does  not  widely  differ  from  the  Buddhist. 
Kaempfer,  when  he  went  to  Japan,  as  surgeon  to 
the  Dutch  in  Nagasaki,  on  seeing  Buddhistic 
worship  for  the  first  time,  insisted  that  it  was  the 
devil  simulating  Christ.  Diablo  simulante 
Christumr  Whatever  the  cause,  the  results  at- 
tained by  the  Catholic  missionaries  far  outstrip 
those  of  their  Protestant — I was  about  to  say 
brethren;  but  there  is  no  brotherhood  between 

37 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


these  two  great  branches  of  Christianity.  Not 
only  are  the  intelligent  Chinese  perplexed  at  the 
variety  of  creeds  presented  by  the  Protestants, 
but  they  cannot  in  the  least  understand  why  the 
French  should  insist  upon  forcing  the  Jesuits 
into  China,  having  at  one  time  kicked  them  out 
of  their  own  country. 

With  this  digression  let  us  return  to  our 
Chinese  family.  This,  my  first  critical  visit  to 
a Chinese  home,  was  made  on  a cold  and  rainy 
day  in  February ; there  was  no  fire  in  the  house, 
and  no  visible  means  of  providing  warmth  ; the 
apartments  were  dark,  damp,  and  chilly,  the  floor 
was  wet  and  cold,  and  I began  to  stamp  my  feet 
to  get  warm,  upon  which  a servant  brought  me 
a bronze  foot-warmer.  Despite  this  I 
was  compelled  to  wear  my  thick  win- 
ter ulster  during  my  stay.  It  was,  in- 
Foot-warmer  ^ unique  Opportunity  to  be  in  a 

gentleman’s  house  the  entire  day  and  see  the  full 
round  of  domestic  economies,  — cooking,  washing, 
etc.,  — going  on  without  disturbance  save  what 
my  presence  excited.  The  library  room  was  very 
formal  and  stiff  in  appearance;  the  place  for  read- 
ing or  study  consisted  of  a raised  floor  which  pro- 

38 


A CHINESE  HOME 


jected  like  a square  block  from  the  middle  of  one 
side  of  the  room  to  a distance  of  from  seven  to 
eight  feet.  A higher  portion  next  to  the  wall 
formed  a shelf  a foot  or  more  in  width;  resting 
on  the  projecting  portion  was  a long,  low,  narrow 


. Library,  private  house,  Skaughai 

table  running  out  at  right  angles  from  the  wall, 
leaving  a space  three  feet  wide  on  either  side  ; this 
space  permitted  a reader  to  recline  at  full  length, 
or  to  sit  on  the  edge  of  the  platform  resting  his 
feet  on  a low  stool  at  the  end.  Book-shelves 
were  against  the  wall  on  either  side  of  the  plat- 
form, and  on  the  wall  were  hung  long,  narrow 

39 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

kakemono,  on  which  were  inscribed  precepts  from 
Confucius  or  some  other  revered  sage. 

The  receptacles  for  books  consisted  of  simple 
shelves  equal  distances  apart  and  not  adjustable. 
The  Chinese  books,  like  those  of  Japan,  have  thin 
and  elastic  covers  of  paper.  The  books  them- 
selves are  usually  thin,  and  rest  on  the  shelves 
flatwise,  piled  one  upon  another.  In  a work  of 
several  volumes  a folding  case  of  thick  material 
usually  covered  with  cloth  is  provided,  and  this 
is  held  together  by  ivory  pins  and  loops.  A 
number  of  volumes  constituting  a set  are  not 
numbered  as  with  us,  volume  I,  II,  III,  etc.,  but 
are  indicated  by  Chinese  characters  which  mean, 
above,  below,  in  case  of  two  volumes;  or,  for 
three  volumes,  above,  middle,  below,  and  when 
there  are  more,  other  conventional  characters  are 
used.  The  accompanying  sketch  will  best  illus- 
trate the  arrangement  above  described : At  the 
side  of  the  main  entrance  of  this  room  was  a 
writing-table  upon  which  was  a tray  containing  a 
brush-holder,  ink-stone,  a Chinese  water-pipe,  and 
other  conveniences,  and  here  one  of  the  young 
men  sat  while  I made  a hasty  sketch  of  him.  On 
each  side  of  the  room,  against  the  wall,  was  a 

40 


A CHINESE  HOME 


A 

V/ 

a 

1 

square  table,  with  a chair 
on  either  side  in  touch 
with  the  table  and  the  wall, 
and  this  looked  very  stiff 
and  formal. 

During  my  inspection 
of  these  details  a little  sis- 
ter of  my  host  came  into 
the  room  ; she  was  ex- 
ceedingly shy  and 
held  close  to  her 
brother.  I tried 
to  induce  her 
to  come  to  me, 
but  though  she 
smiled  at  my 
attempts  in  a 
frightened  way, 

I could  get 
no  farther  in 
my  advances ; 
whereupon  I 

proceeded  to  make  a sketch  of  her,  she,  mean- 
while, looking  very  dubious  and  clinging  to  her 
brother  all  the  time.  The  band  over  the  front 


Writing-table^  etc. 


41 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


of  her  head  was  a thick  affair  of  black  silk  richly 
embroidered  in  pearls  mounted  in  gilt ; the  stuff 
from  this,  hanging  over  her  forehead  and  looking 
like  a bang,  was  composed  of  black  silk  thread. 
The  hair  behind  was  wound  up  in  two  compact 
pugs  which  were  secured  in  some  way  on  each 
side  of  the  head;  her  ears  were  rather  large  and 
the  outer  margin  had  two  perforations,  and  at 
the  time  held  two  simple  gilt  rings.  She  was 
very  pretty,  ten  years  old,  and  the  daughter  of  a 
Chinese  gentleman,  and  yet  when  I asked  her 
brother  to  induce  her  to  give  me  an  autograph 
on  my  sketch  he  told  me,  in  the  frankest  way, 
that  she  could  not  write,  and  that  girls  were 
not  taught  to  read  or  write.  Here  was  another 
startling  contrast  to  the  Japanese  which  English 
writers,  of  course,  recognize  as  an  evidence  of  the 
superiority  of  the  Chinese.  I particularly  noticed 
the  little  compressed  feet  of  the  girl,  and  while 
sketching  her  an  aunt  passed  through  the  room 
with  the  gait  that  reminded  me  of  a goat,  or,  one 
walking  on  very  short  stilts.  They  do  not  limp, 
but  simply  stump  along. 

Every  one  that  I saw  in  the  house  was  clothed 
in  thickly  quilted  garments,  and  my  entertainer 

42 


A CHINESE  HOME 


wore  a fur  robe  besides.  It  was  true  I was 
chilled  to  the  bone  in  my  thick  winter  ulster, 

43 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


and  from  my  short  experience  it  seemed  to  me 
that  the  Chinese  city  house,  though  having  thick 
brick  walls  and  closed  doors,  was  as  cold  as  the 
Japanese  house,  with  a chill  which  the  latter 
does  not  possess,  and  dirt  which  only  an  Ainu 
hut  could  parallel. 


My  host  and  his  friends  were  dressed  in  the 
ordinary  costume  of  the  better  class  of  Chinese, 
and,  curious  to  know  the  cost  of  their  clothing  in 
order  to  compare  with  that  of  our  own,  I made 
bold  to  ask  my  host  the  price  of  everything  he 
had  on  at  that  moment.  The  asking  of  similar 
questions  by  Li  Hung  Chang,  when  in  this  coun- 
try, was  considered  rude,  and  it  is  possible  that 
my  host  thought  that  the  questions  I asked  him 
were  of  that  nature  ; by  no  act  or  expression,  how- 

44 


A CHINESE  HOME 


ever,  did  he  indicate  a shade  of  annoyance.  In 
the  one  case,  however,  the  questions  asked  were 
probably  never  recorded  nor,  so  far  as  we  know, 
prompted  by  anything  save  a passing  curiosity. 
In  the  other  case  the  questions  asked  a Chinese 
by  foreign  writers  and  students  are  recorded,  and 
they  are  asked  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  in- 
formation, a feature  as  remote  from  Chinese  im- 
pulses as  can  possibly  be  imagined,  and  this  my 
host,  having  been  in  America,  probably  knew. 
Showing  no  surprise  then  at  my  curiosity,  he 
gave  me  seriatim  a list  of  the  prices  which  had 
been  paid  for  the  clothing,  which,  he  assured  me, 
represented  the  daily  garments  of  a young  man  of 
his  class.  Long  overcoat  lined  with  squirrel-skin, 
^35  ; short  satin  gown,  $6o ; waistcoat,  $4. ; leg- 
gins,  $3;  sleeves,  $1 ; stockings,  20  cents  ; hat,  50 
cents ; wadded  gown,  $5,  and  a few  other  items 
brought  the  sum  to  ^110.70.  He  further  in- 
formed me  that  a finely  dressed  Chinese  might 
easily  have  on  clothing  costing  ^ 1,500. 

From  the  study  we  entered  a large  dining- 
room, possibly  twenty  feet  square.  It  was  dimly 
lighted,  like  all  the  other  rooms,  gloomy  better 
describes  it,  and  cold  and  damp  besides.  In  this 

45 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


room  were  various  tables,  chairs,  a case  of  large 
drawers,  a cupboard,  and  a number  of  well  con- 


structed benches,  in  form  not  unlike  a “carpen- 
ter’s horse,”  only  made  of  a dark,  hard  wood  and 
finely  finished.  Among  other  objects  was  a 

46 


A CHINESE  HOME 


baby^s  chair  made  of  a stout  bamboo  in  the 
form  of  an  octagonal  tube  with  a partition  half 
way  down  upon  which  the  baby  rested.  It  was 
as  brown  as  an  old  meerschaum 
pipe  from  age  and  grime.  Dirt 
and  disorder  were  in  evidence 
here  as  elsewhere  in  the  house. 

The  windows  had  a complicated 
framework,  too  intricate  to  hastily 
sketch.  The  formula  for  the 
window-frames  struck  me  as  the 
same  over  a wide  region  in  China. 

I saw  the  same  at  Canton  and  Baby's  high  chair 
have  seen  photographs  of  build- 
ings in  other  places  in  which  the  same  design 
appears. 

The  dining-room  opened  directly  into  a yard 
behind  the  main  house,  and  across  this  yard,  at  a 
distance  of  fifteen  feet,  was  the  kitchen,  a narrow 
tiled  roof  extending  across  the  yard  from  the 
dining-room  door  to  the  kitchen  door.  Under 
this  roof  an  old  woman  sat  astride  a bench  wash- 
ing clothes  in  a large  shallow  tub,  which  also 
rested  on  the  bench.  The  windows  of  the  kitchen 
had  close,  net-like  wooden  frames  covered  with 

47 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


paper,  as  in  the  Japanese  shoji,  but  all  the  little 
squares  were  broken  through,  and  there  was  no 
evidence  that  any  attempt  had  been  made  to  re- 


Old  servant  washing  clothes 


pair  them,  and  this  neglect  in  a fine  house,  too. 
Again,  the  contrast  with  similar  conditions  in 
Japan,  where  if  by  accident  a hole  is  made  in  the 
sJioji,  a bit  of  paper  is  cut  out  in  the  shape  of  a 
cherry  or  plum  blossom  and  the  hole  is  patched 

48 


A CHINESE  HOME 


with  this  tasteful  device.  Even  in  the  poorer 
houses  in  Japan  this  dainty  way  of  mending  rents 
is  often  seen.  Nowhere  in  the  house  did  I see 
the  evidence  of  any  attempt  having  been  made 


to  repair  or  to  prevent  matters  from  going  to 
rack  and  ruin. 

While  the  window-frames  in  the  kitchen  and 
out-buildings  consisted  of  a close  frame-work  cov- 
ered with  paper,  in  the  house  proper  many  of  the 
windows  were  made  of  vertical  slats  of  bamboo, 
three  inches  apart,  to  which  were  tied  the  thin, 
translucent  shells  of  a species  known  as  Placuna, 

4 49 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


These  shells  are  flat,  circular,  and  are  trimmed 
into  a rude  square  and  perforated  at  the  edges, 
so  that  they  may  be  tied  to  the  bamboo  frames. 
The  shell  admits  only  a dim  light,  and  represents 
the  window-glass  of  China.  The  use  of  this 
material  by  the  Chinese  is  a good  illustration  of 
their  conservatism.  Window-glass  can  be  cheaply 
purchased  in  the  foreign  concession,  yet  the  usual 
contempt  that  the  Chinese  holds  for  anything 
foreign  confines  him  rigidly  to  this  archaic 
device. 

The  kitchen  was  dark,  gloomy,  and  dirty.  It 
was  anything  but  appetizing  to  see  so  much  dirt 
and  to  remember  that  here  was  to  be  prepared 
the  dinner  I was  invited  to  eat.  The  stove  was  a 
curious  affair.  It  was  made  of  brick  and  plaster, 
and  occupied  considerable  space  in  the  room. 
Three  large  iron  pots  in  line  were  permanently 
built  into  the  structure,  and  two  smaller  pots 
were  built  near  the  chimney.  Many  of  the 
Shanghai  kitchens  had  chimneys,  — a feature 
rarely  seen  in  the  Japanese  kitchen.  The  open- 
ing of  the  stove  was  behind,  and  here  the  wood 
was  piled  for  the  fire.  In  the  chimney  above  the 
stove  was  a shelf-like  recess  on  which  was  a 

50 


A CHINESE  HOME 


candlestick,  and  on  the  side  of  this  recess  was  sus- 
pended the  kitchen  deity,  as  well  as  conveniences 
for  burning  incense.  The  floor  of  the  kitchen 

51 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


was  paved  with  small  bricks,  and  these  were 
grimy  with  wet  dirt.  There  was  no  scraper  nor 
mat  at  the  door,  and  the  inmates  did  not  remove 
their  shoes  for  indoor  slippers.  So  far  as  I could 
see,  the  mud  and  filth  of  the  street  were  tracked 
into  every  part  of  the  house.  The  rooms  were 
all  high  studded,  much  higher  than  our  rooms 
at  home,  but  the  walls  and  ceilings  were  discol- 
ored with  dirt  and  grime.  Back  of  the  kitchen 
was  a long,  narrow,  closet-like  room,  in  which 
were  a number  of  lanterns  hanging  from  a rope, 
a few  shallow  tubs  leaning  against  the  wall,  and 
at  the  farther  end  a niche  in  the  wall  holding 
some  small  jars.  Even  in  this  shed-like  place, 
facing  the  dirtiest  of  yards,  the  window-frames 
were  of  intricate  patterns.  In  the  sketch  of  the 
kitchen,  what  appears  to  be  a table  is  in  reality  a 
chopping-block  supported  on  four  legs.  In  Ori- 
ental kitchens  a large  chopping-block  or  plank 
is  always  seen,  and  the  sound  of  the  rhythmical 
blows  as  the  cook,  with  a knife-like  chopper  in 
each  hand,  beats  a tattoo  is  a characteristic  of 
Chinese  as  well  as  of  Japanese  houses. 

In  this  kitchen,  as  in  other  kitchens  I saw, 
clutter  and  dirt  had  the  upper  hand.  Baskets, 

52 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


pots,  and  dishes  littered  the  table  as  well  as  the 
little  table  beneath.  There  were  no  chairs  in  the 
room,  but  long  narrow  benches  such  as  have 
been  already  described.  The  floor  was  also  lit- 
tered, and  confusion  and  damp  dirt  pervaded  the 
place.  Indeed,  if  I pause  for  a sentence,  the  ap- 
palling character  of  the  dirt,  not  ordinary  clean 
dirt,  but  what  appeared  to  be  pathogenic,  dirt, 
intrudes  itself,  and  I have  not  done  the  matter 
justice. 

I must  admit,  for  fear  of  doing  the  Chinese  an 
injustice,  that,  the  contrast  was  the  more  pro- 
nounced having  just  come  from  Japan,  where  the 
shoes  are  always  removed  before  entering  the 
house,  the  floors  and  mats  are  repeatedly  swept, 
and  the  woodwork  of  the  rooms  and  the  floor  of 
the  veranda  are  often  wiped  with  a damp  cloth. 

In  one  room  we  passed  there  had  just  been 
brought  in  four  large  straw  baskets  fresh  from 
the  maker.  These  were  as  big  as  large  pumpkins, 
and  had  a light  framework  of  wicker  above,  evi- 
dently made  after  some  definite  formula.  The 
baskets  seemed  too  frail  to  bear  the  usual  treat- 
ment accorded  these  archaic  yet  beautiful  devices. 
On  inquiry,  I was  told  that  on  the  anniversary  of 

54 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


the  death  of  some  ancestor  one  of  these  baskets, 
filled  with  gilt  paper  representing  money  and 
bought  by  the  peck  at  a neighboring  shop,  is 
burned  at  the  grave. 

One  notices  at  the  doorway  of  shops,  at  the 
gateway  of  a city,  and  at  other  places,  little  piles 


of  ashes  on  the  ground,  an  evidence  that  joss- 
paper,  as  the  foreigner  calls  it,  has  been  burned 
as  a propitiatory  offering,  or  to  ward  off  evil  in- 
fluences. One  feels  an  extreme  contempt  for  a 
people  guilty  of  such  superstitious  and  ridiculous 
practices  until  he  recalls  the  various  superstitions 
and  credulities  which  characterize  his  own  race. 
Only  a few  years  ago,  in  Boston,  that  centre  of 
intellectual  culture,  thousands  of  so-called  “ lucky  ” 

56 


A CHINESE  HOME 

boxes  were  sold.  These  were  said  to  have  come 
from  India,  and  to  be  endowed  with  some  peculiar 
property  whereby  the  possessor  would  secure 
good  luck,  and  many  testimonial  letters  were 
published  showing  their  marvellous  potency. 
The  city  authorities  finally  stopped  the  sale  of 
them  as  fraudulent,  and  then  it  was  discovered 
that  they  had  all  been  manufactured  in  Lynn,  a 
neighboring  town,  and  the  only  property  with 
which  they  were  endowed  was  the  sweat  of  two 
overworked  wood-turners.  Thus  much  for  cre- 
dulity. Indeed,  if  we  but  stop  to  enumerate 
the  number  of  superstitions  believed  in  by  our 
own  people  the  list  would  almost  parallel  that  of 
the  Chinese,  who  are  supersaturated  with  them. 
As  a proof  of  this  we  have  only  to  recall  the 
appearance  of  an  otherwise  rational  American 
backing  out  of  his  front  door  in  order  to  see  the 
moon  over  his  right  shoulder,  or  the  sight  of  a 
man  stepping  into  the  mud  rather  than  walk 
under  a ladder,  or  a hungry  man  missing  a good 
dinner  to  avoid  making  thirteen  at  the  table. 
An  equal  absurdity  is  to  see  an  apparently  sen- 
sible man  draw  from  his  pocket  a handful  of 
change  with  which  is  a well  worn  rabbit’s  foot. 

57 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


These  and  many  other  superstitions  will  readily 
suggest  themselves  to  every  one.  As  a matter 
of  fact,  we  grow  up  with  our  superstitions  and 
our  methods  of  lying  and  are  no  longer  im- 
pressed by  them.  We  visit  a new  country,  and 
the  novelty  of  the  superstition  or  lie  arrests  our 
attention,  and  we  moralize  about  it. 

At  one  side  of  the  court-yard  was  a high,  nar- 
row opening  having  two  doors,  one  off  its  pivots. 
This  led  into  a narrow  yard  surrounded  by  high 
walls.  The  ground  of  this  yard  was  paved  with 
stone,  and  against  one  of  the  walls  was  a brick 
pen,  four  feet  wide,  fifteen  feet  long,  and  three 
feet  high,  very  much  like  a cellar  coal-bin.  This 
was  filled  with  earth  and  represented  the  flower- 
garden  of  the  estate,  doubtless  an  attractive  fea- 
ture in  the  summer,  but  now  presenting  only  a 
few  dry  stalks  and  dead  leaves.  It  certainly 
looked  dreary  enough. 

Two  little  children  from  the  neighborhood  had 
kept  close  by  me  during  my  rambles,  and  by 
pantomime  expressed  a wish  to  be  sketched. 
Afterwards  one  of  these  little  fellows  made  cer- 
tain motions  to  my  host,  at  the  same  time  point- 
ing to  his  companion’s  head.  I inquired  why  he 

58 


Garden  and  passage  ivay 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


was  gesticulating  in  this  way,  and  was  told  that 
he  was  trying  to  tell  us  not  to  go  near  the  boy,  as 
he  had  parasites  in  his  hair,  and  he  was  warning 
us  as  quietly  as  he  could,  so  as  not  to  offend  his 
friend.  In  this  act  there  was  certainly  betrayed 
some  sense  of  cleanliness,  as  well  as  consideration 
for  his  friend’s  feelings,  — a trait  for  which  the 
Chinese  have  been  given  little  credit. 

While  in  the  house  I was  somewhat  surprised 
to  have  an  opportunity  to  sketch  a slave.  Those 
who  are  familiar  with  the  literature  of  China 
know,  of  course,  that  servants  are  bought  and 
sold ; yet  to  see  a veritable  specimen  of  humanity 
that  had  been  bought  like  a piece  of  merchandise 
was,  to  me,  a novel  experience.  My  host  brought 
the  girl  into  the  room  to  be  sketched,  and  in- 
formed me  that  she  had  been  purchased  in 
Canton  some  years  before.  The  price  paid  was 
sixty  dollars  in  our  money,  but  with  the  instruc- 
tions she  had  received  in  household  duties  (which 
certainly  did  not  include  sweeping  and  cleaning) 
she  was  worth  at  least  two  hundred  dollars.  In 
thus  holding  the  girl  as  a slave,  the  master  condi- 
tions that  she  shall  be  married  off  when  of  a 
marriageable  age. 


6o 


A CHINESE  HOME 


How  meekly  this  poor  creature  stood  when  I 
sketched  her ; patient,  apparently  uncomplaining, 
literally  knowing  nothing  about  her  antecedents, 

6i 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


doomed  to  work  and  slave  as  long  as  life  lasted, 
whether  single  or  married.  With  the  degrada- 
tion of  women  in  China,  it  is  possible  that  her  lot 
might  be  considered  far  happier  than  that  of  her 
mistress,  in  that  she  had  her  two  good  feet  to 
stand  upon,  and  could  see  the  activities  of  the 
street  without  impropriety.  It  was,  indeed,  a 
hard  lot.  The  old  African  slave,  with  his  dances 
and  songs,  freedom  in  the  open  air,  and  ’possum 
hunting  on  a moonlight  night,  might  be  consid- 
ered in  a state  of  bliss  and  wildest  freedom  com- 
pared to  the  lot  of  a female  slave  in  China. 


62 


A CHINESE  DINNER 


Ill 


A CHINESE  DINNER 

After  ransacking  the  house  for  an  hour 
or  two,  dinner  was  announced.  The 
table,  for  some  reason,  probably  on  ac- 
count of  the  clutter  in  the  dining-room,  was 
placed  in  the  study.  It  was  of  dark  polished 
wood,  four  feet  square,  the  legs  square  and  slen- 
der, with  the  curious  open-work  between  them 
so  characteristic  of  Chinese  furniture.  A seam 
ran  through  the  top  of  the  table  where  the  two 
boards  joined.  In  seating  guests,  etiquette  re- 
quires that  the  seam  should  run  at  right  angles 
with  a line  drawn  between  the  host  and  guest. 

We  were  four  in  number,  and  the  first  guest  of 
honor  sits  directly  opposite  the  host,  the  next  in 
honor  sits  at  the  left  of  the  host,  while  the  third 
guest  sits  directly  opposite  the  second  guest,  and, 
of  course,  to  the  right  of  the  first  guest.  Women 
are  excluded  from  the  table,  as  in  Japan.  The 
5 . 65 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


tables  are  not  placed  together,  but,  if  there  are 
more  guests,  additional  square  tables  are  pro- 
vided, which  are  placed  in  different  parts  of 

the  room ; probably  defi- 

! ^ nite  places  are  assigned 

to  them,  though  about  this 
matter  I failed  to  inquire. 

The  dinner  that  was 
provided  for  me  was  evi- 
dently not  a common 
every-day  dinner,  but,  as 

__J  with  most  of  us  when  we 

2 ^ have  company  — a few  ad- 

ditional dishes  were  served. 
I should  have  much  preferred  dropping  in  and 
taking  pot-luck. 

Wine  and  oranges  were  first  offered  us  ; the 
wine,  a sake,  much  finer  than  I had  drunk  in 
Japan.  The  dishes  of  food  were  placed  on  the 
table  in  a radially  symmetrical  manner.  No 
plates  or  individual  dishes  were  provided  until 
the  rice  was  served,  and  then  each  one  had  a 
bowl  to  himself.  Each  one  helped  himself  to 
whatever  he  liked  from  the  assembled  dishes.  In 
one  dish  was  a fish  with  rice  gravy,  and  each 

66 


A CHINESE  DINNER 


person  picked  in  turn  from  it.  This,  of  course, 
is  done  with  the  chop-stick,  and  my  ready  use  of 
these  “ nimble  lads,”  as  they  are  called  in  China, 
led  my  host  to  remark  upon  it.  And  I may  say 
in  passing  that  the  chop-sticks  are  certainly  the 
most  useful,  the  most  economical,  and  the  most 
efficient  device  for  their  purposes  ever  invented 
by  man.  Following  is  a list  of  the  articles  of 
food  which  we  had  for  our  dinner,  with  my  brief 
comments  recorded  at  the  time : 

Water-chestnut.  Crispy  and  interesting. 

Peanuts,  fried  in  oil,  served  cold.  Delicious.  (Will 
fry  peanuts  when  I get  home.) 

Watermelon  seed.  Indifferent,  and  one  wonders  what 
the  Chinese  find  of  interest  in  the  diminutive  morsel 
within. 

An  uncooked  goose’s  egg,  four  years  old.  Ghastly. 

Salted  chicken,  cold.  First  rate. 

Salted  pork.  Fairly  good. 

Clover-leaf  and  bamboo.  Not  unlike  spinach.  Deli- 
cious. 

Fish  with  rich  gravy.  Delicious. 

Shark’s  fin,  a gelatinous  mass.  Delicious. 

Fermented  bean-curd  soup.  Very  poor. 

I was  surprised  to  find  that  nearly  all  the 
articles  of  food  were  not  only  good  but  appetiz- 

67 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


ing  so  long  as  the  recollection  of  the  kitchen  did 
not  obtrude.  In  justice  it  should  be  said  that 
not  one  speck  of  dirt  or  foreign  substance  showed 
itself  in  the  various  foods;  no  suspicious  frag- 
ments of  an  insect,  no  gravel  in  the  clover-leaf, 
as  one  often  finds  at  home  in  his  spinach  and 
lettuce.  With  the  usual  reversal  of  things  Chin- 
ese, the  kitchen  is  dirty,  while  the  food  is  clean. 
Judging  from  this  first  experience,  Chinese  food 
resembles  in  taste  our  own  far  more  than  does 
that  of  the  Japanese.  One  has  to  acquire  by 
practice  the  enjoyment  of  many  kinds  of  Japan- 
ese food.  Of  course  the  foreigner  takes  at  once 
to  the  Japanese  raw  fish,  with  its  sauce,  which 
must  have  been  specially  created  for  the  fish, 
the  rich  custard-like  chawan-mushi,  the  fried  eels, 
and  many  other  delectable  preparations.  The 
Chinese  food  appeals  to  one  at  once.  The  fish, 
with  its  rich  gravy,  and  the  salted  meats  were  not 
unlike  ours;  the  salted  chicken  was  remarkably 
good,  and  I would  suggest  to  our  farmers  that 
they  prepare  a barrel  of  corned  chicken  just  as 
they  prepare  a barrel  of  corned  beef.  Chicken 
and  turkey  might  easily  be  preserved  in  this  way 
for  transportation. 


68 


A CHINESE  DINNER 

While  gnawing  my  chicken  I wondered  what 
I should  do  with  the  bone.  It  would  not  do  to 
lay  it  down  on  the  polished  table-top,  I certainly 
was  not  expected  to  return  it  to  the  communal 
platter,  and  there  was  no  individual  plate,  so  in 
despair  I was  constrained  to  ask  my  host,  and  he 
told  me  to  throw  it  on  the  floor,  which  I did. 
Indeed  the  floor,  judging  from  its  appearance, 
fulfilled  the  function  of  slop-pail,  cuspidor,  and 
garbage-barrel  combined.  When  one  considers 
the  mud  tracked  in  from  the  street  on  a wet  day, 
and  such  streets  as  those  of  a Chinese  city,  with 
no  conveniences  for  removing  the  dirt  before 
entering,  it  will  be  readily  understood  that  the 
debris  from  a dinner  would  add  little  to  the  mat- 
ter already  accumulated.  In  some  ways  one  was 
reminded  of  the  savage  Ainu  hut,  where  the 
inmates  eat  out  of  the  same  dish  and  fling  the 
bones  on  the  earth  floor. 

The  conservatism  of  the  Chinese  must  have 
begun  back  at  the  dawn  of  their  emerging  from 
quadrupedal  ancestors ; for  this  reason  one  finds 
projected  into  their  present  life  many  archaic 
survivals.  Their  fiendish  cruelty ; their  innumer- 
able childish  superstitions;  their  propitiation  of 

69 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


unseen  evil  spirits  and  influences ; their  filthy 
manners,  and,  above  all,  their  absolute  indiffer- 
ence to  ascertain  the  causes  of  phenomena  must 
be  regarded  as  survivals  from  their  prehistoric 
savage  ancestors. 

The  goose’s  egg  was  a revelation  to  me,  and 
the  dainty  way  in  which  my  Chinese  friends  ate 
crumbs  of  this  awful  substance  probably  has  its 
parallel  in  the  way  we  nibble  our  stronger 
cheeses.  The  raw  egg  is  allowed  to  go  through 
every  stage  of  fermentation,  putrefaction,  and 
whatever  other  unimaginable  processes  of  putrid- 
ity it  might  venture  upon.  These  changes  take 
place  while  surrounded  by  a thick  coating  of 
clay.  The  egg  may  be  one  year  old  or  ten  years 
old ; conceive  for  a moment  a rotten  egg  even 
four  years  old ! It  resembled  a green  variegated 
soap,  and  had  a greasy  crumble  to  the  touch,  and 
tasted  as  one  might  imagine  the  condensation 
from  the  inside  of  a charnel-house  might  taste. 
It  was  simply  ghastly,  and  one  taste  of  it  lasted 
me  a week.  My  Chinese  companions  were  nib- 
bling crumbs  of  it,  not  mouthfuls,  as  I observed. 
On  my  expressing  a certain  amount  of  horror  at 
the  idea  of  eating  a rotten  egg  four  years  old, 

70 


A CHINESE  DINNER 

they  quite  justly  reminded  me  of  our  Roquefort, 
Brie,  and  Limburger  cheeses,  equally  ghastly  to 
them.  They  were  evidently  familiar  with  the 
processes  of  making  our  stronger  cheeses,  for  my 
host  recalled  the  process  of  cheese-making  by 
saying,  “Which  is  worse;  a fairly  rotten  egg 
three  years  old  which  has  never  been  removed 
from  its  first  shelly  enclosure,  or  a liquid  sub- 
stance derived  from  a modified  sebaceous  gland 
of  a cow,  to  which  is  added  the  active  principles 
of  the  gastric  juice  of  a young  calf?  ” He  further 
went  on  by  reminding  me  that  in  the  case  of  the 
stronger  cheeses  this  stuff  is  put  in  a skin  bag 
and  buried  in  lime,  so  that  it  will  not  go  entirely 
to  the  dogs ; in  the  case  of  Limburger,  it  is  act- 
ually permitted  to  putrefy.  Some  of  the  cheeses 
are  kept  a year  or  more,  and  we  do  not  hesitate 
to  eat  them  when  green  with  mould,  as  in  Roque- 
fort, and  even  fly-blown,  with  wriggling  maggots 
within,  and  yet  smack  our  lips  over  them ! I 
had  nothing  to  say,  and  had  to  confess  that  a bad 
egg  even  ten  years  old  was  a fresh  dainty  tid-bit  in 
contrast  to  the  substance  he  had  so  graphically 
depicted.  It  should  be  understood  that  the 
Chinese  detest  milk  and  all  its  products,  and  cheese 

n 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


is  particularly  repulsive ; the  odor  even,  despite 
the  innumerable  stenches  that  constantly  assail 
them,  is  especially  obnoxious. 

Returning  to  our  menu,  I would  suggest  that 
our  people  learn  to  cultivate  the  delicious  clover- 
leaf,  if  clover-leaf  it  was,  ginger-shoots,  and  other 
delightful  forms  for  our  salads.  Ginger  might 
be  successfully  cultivated  under  glass,  and  the 
young  shoot  is  most  delicious. 


72 


IV 

A BACKYARD 


IV 


A BACKYARD 

After  dinner  we  left  the  house  by  a back- 
door and  passed  through  a large  back- 
yard. In  this  yard  was  a huge  mound, 
at  least  twenty-five  feet  high,  composed  of  brick, 
plaster,  broken  roofing  tiles,  and  ashes.  I thought 
at  first  it  corresponded  to  the  Ko-yama  (little 
mountain)  of  the  Japanese  garden,  with  its  narrow 
spiral  pathway,  quaint  shrubs,  rustic  bowers,  and 
the  like.  I was  told  that,  years  before,  an  exten- 
sive conflagration  had  occurred  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, consuming  many  of  the  houses,  and  the 
debris  of  this  calamity  had  been  gathered  here 
as  the  only  available  place  for  its  disposal.  By 
what  right  this  huge  pile  of  rubbish  had  been 
placed  in  this  particular  backyard  I did  not  learn, 
but  reflected  that  there  was  no  other  place  that 
it  could  be  carried  to.  It  could  not  be  thrown 
into  the  shallow  river,  as  it  would  impede  navi- 
gation ; all  the  land  surrounding  the  city  was 

75 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


under  cultivation  or  occupied  with  the  innum- 
erable sepulchral  mounds;  it  had  to  be  piled 
somewhere,  and  as  this  was  the  only  open  lot 
in  the  vicinity,  it  was  piled  here.  On  the  top 
of  this  mound  two  depauperated  trees  were 
struggling  for  existence,  and  from  this  vantage- 
point  in  a raw,  cutting  wind  I secured  a sketch  of 
the  house-tops  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  How 
the  Japanese  would  have  utilized  for  beauty  a 
mound  of  this  size,  and  yet  here  was  this  pile  of 
rubbish  without  even  steps,  and  the  two  trees  on 
top  were  evidently  fortuitous. 

The  house-tops  varied  but  little  in  their  type 
of  architecture,  and  reached  a nearly  uniform 
height,  with  small,  low  chimneys.  The  walls 
were  of  brick  and  plastered  outside,  forming  a 
marked  contrast  to  the  thin  wooden  and  inflam- 
mable buildings  of  the  Japanese.  The  ridges  of 
the  roof  were  ornamented  with  flat  tiles  placed  on 
end,  as  books  are  arranged  in  a rack,  and  appa- 
rently without  being  fastened ; at  the  ends  of  the 
ridge  iron  pieces  were  turned  up,  against  which 
the  tiles  rested.  The  firmly  turned  gables  and 
heavily  tiled  roofs  gave  an  appearance  of  solidity 
and  durability.  The  terra-cotta  roofing  tile  is 

76 


A BACKYARD 


everywhere  seen.  Not  only  the  roofs  of  houses 
are  covered  with  these  tiles,  but  they  form  ridges 
on  ornamental  gateways  and  garden  walls.  The 
Chinese  tile  is  the  earliest  form  known  in  history, 
and  the  earliest  type  of  roofing  tile  ever  exhumed 


still  forms  the  roof-covering  of  the  greater  mass 
of  mankind  to-day.  In  China  and  Japan  the  tiles 
bordering  the  eaves  of  the  roof  are  variously  orna- 
mented, and  in  some  cases  glazed;  while  in  India 
they  often  appear  of  the  most  primitive  character. 
I have  dealt  with  this  subject,  however,  more  fully 
elsewhere.^ 

1 The  American  Architect  and  Building  News,  Vol.  XXXVI. 

77 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

A short  walk  from  the  house  brought  us  to  the 
jail,  always  described  in  books  as  an  inferno.  It 
was  certainly  a painful  place.  Here  were  col- 
lected a number  of  malefactors,  dirty  and  dejected- 
looking  vagabonds.  There  were  two  thieves  in 
low  wooden  cages.  The  worst-looking  device  was 
an  arrangement  in  the  shape  of  a high  wooden 
cage,  in  which  the  criminal  is  imprisoned  for  a 
certain  time.  His  head  is  secured  through  a hole 
in  a plank  which  stands  vertical  and  forms  part 
of  the  cage.  Friends  are  allowed  to  feed  him, 
otherwise  he  would  be  permitted  to  die  of  starva- 
tion. He  cannot  lie  down,  and  if  he  drops  to 
sleep  has  to  hang  by  his  head.  This  probably 
gives  him  but  slight  annoyance,  however,  as  the 
Chinese  absence  of  feeling  is  such  that  they  are 
said  to  endure  the  most  frightful  surgical  opera- 
tions with  little  manifestation  of  suffering.  One 
authority,  in  describing  their  peculiar  insensibility 
in  these  matters,  avers  that  a Chinese  can  sleep 
soundly  while  reclining  across  the  top  of  a wheel- 
barrow with  head  bent  back  at  right  angles, 
mouth  gaping  and  full  of  flies.  However  this 
may  be,  the  annoyances  that  set  most  of  us  frantic 
do  not  seem  to  disturb  a Chinese  in  the  least. 

78 


A BACKYARD 


The  punishments  are  frightful  in  their  cruelty. 
My  companion  admitted  that  the  wealthy  and 
influential  often  escaped  the  severer  penalties 
imposed  by  the  law.  He  further  told  me  that  in 
case  of  matricide  or  parricide  every  member  of 
the  murderer’s  family,  including  all  the  genera- 
tions from  great-grandfather  to  nursing  infant, 
are  put  to  death.  Even  the  first  cousins  are  sac- 
rificed, and  a school-teacher  is  impartially  in- 
cluded, as  he  was  influential  in  the  formation  of 
the  boy’s  character.  On  expressing  incredulity 
at  such  monstrous  acts  of  injustice,  my  informant 
insisted  that  this  comprehensive  punishment  had 
been  inflicted  within  ten  years. 

Coming  out  of  the  city  gate  that  night  I saw 
an  emaciated  beggar  lying  prone  in  the  mud  and 
slush  at  the  side  of  the  crowded  thoroughfare. 
He  was  trembling,  and  apparently  in  the  last 
stages  of  dissolution;  an  empty  basket  was  be- 
side him  for  the  pittance  he  hoped  to  attract  by 
his  pitiable  condition.  In  that  hurrying  throng 
no  one  seemed  to  notice  him.  Such  heartless- 
ness was  difficult  to  understand,  until  one  learned 
that  if  any  one  rescued  such  a case  he  would  be 
held  responsible  for  the  man’s  debts  and,  possi- 

79 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

bly,  for  his  crimes.  It  was  certainly  a shocking 
sight. 

Such  dirty  booths  as  we  passed,  with  such  dirty 
food  for  sale!  Among  the  common  classes,  at 
least,  there  seems  to  be  no  attempt  to  make  the 
food  look  tasty  and  attractive  as  in  similar  places 
in  Japan.  All  of  the  articles  not  only  looked 
unsavory,  but  some  of  them  appeared  positively 
disgusting. 


8o 


V 


A CHINESE  THEATRE 


V 


A CHINESE  THEATRE  AND  PRISON 

IN  the  evening  we  all  went  to  the  theatre 
in  the  Chinese  quarter,  outside  the  city 
walls.  The  Chinese  theatre  in  San  Fran- 
cisco gives  one  a fair  idea  of  the  native  one  in 
Shanghai ; but  for  rich  colors  and  gorgeous  effects 
of  dress  and  banners,  bizarre  painting  of  the 
face,  and  ear-piercing  sounds,  I have  seen  and 
heard  nothing  to  compare.  I did  not  tear  my- 
self away  till  midnight,  and  could  have  remained 
much  longer. 

The  audience  hall  was  large  and  spacious, 
though  barny.  The  floor  was  covered  with  small 
square  tables,  at  which  parties  of  four  sat  in  hard- 
bottomed  chairs.  These  tables  were  scattered  in 
an  irregular  way  all  over  the  room.  There  must 
have  been  at  least  a thousand  men  on  the  floor, 
with  not  a woman  to  be  seen  among  them,  and  I 
was  apparently  the  only  foreigner  present.  The 

83 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

galleries  and  floor  were  packed  with  an  orderly 
set  of  people,  all  talking  and  apparently  paying 
but  little  attention  to  the  play.  In  the  gallery, 
near  the  stage,  were  large  boxes  in  front  of  which 
were  green  baize  curtains  to  be  lowered  in  case 
they  were  occupied  by  women  of  the  higher  class ; 
now  they  were  crowded  with  women  of  the  com- 
mon class,  every  one  with  her  hair  properly  ar- 
ranged in  the  peculiar  and  picturesque  style  of 
Chinese  hair-dressing.  Certain  portions  of  the 
play  were  shockingly  indecent  and  excited  much 
laughter,  yet  no  one  looked  to  the  galleries  to  see 
if  the  women  minded  it,  nor  did  I see  the  slight- 
est evidences  of  disapproval.  After  we  had  taken 
our  seats,  a boy  came  along  bearing  a large  tray 
containing  dishes  of  watermelon  seed,  li-chi,  fried 
peanuts,  oranges,  and  a weak  rice  soup.  Another 
boy  soon  followed,  bearing  in  his  hand  a pile  of 
square  pieces  of  thick  quilted  cloth  ; these  were 
wet  and  steaming  hot.  Each  one  took  a piece 
and  wiped  his  face  and  hands.  These  had  already 
been  in  use  before  being  offered  to  us.  I natu- 
rally declined  to  use  a cloth  that  had  already 
mopped  the  dirty  mouths  and  faces  of  a number 
of  Chinese,  and  was  probably  looked  upon  as  ex- 

84 


A CHINESE  THEATRE  AND  PRISON 


tremely  fastidious.  It  is  in  matters  of  this  nature 
that  the  uncleanliness  of  the  Chinese  must  be 
insisted  upon.  My  companion  told  me  that  the 
Chinese  always  used  hot  water,  and  not  cool,  for 
their  faces,  and  that  in  the  city  there  were  stands 
where  the  poorer  people  could  buy  hot  water  for 
a trifling  sum  for  the  making  of  tea  and  for  other 
purposes.  Still  another  boy  came  to  our  table, 
bearing  a tobacco-pipe  and  a light,  and  this  circu- 
lated among  the  audience.  It  was  often  smoked, 
yet  I saw  no  one  wipe  the  mouth-piece  before 
using.  No  wonder  infectious  diseases  have  full 
sway  among  these  people.  Those  who  had  their 
own  pipes  had  a slow-match  consisting  of  a roll 
of  paper  as  big  as  a candle,  and  this  could  be 
blown  into  a flame  when  occasion  required. 

It  was  curious  to  observe  the  absence  of  con- 
centrated attention  that  one  sees  in  our  theatres, 
and,  indeed,  as  a play  will  occupy  some  days  and 
even  weeks  in  its  presentation,  it  would  be  beyond 
human  endurance  to  sustain  the  strain  of  atten- 
tion. My  companions  apparently  understood  but 
little  of  what  was  uttered  by  the  actors,  and  it 
seemed  impossible  that  the  audience  did,  judging 
from  their  lack  of  attention.  It  was  explained  to 

85 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


me  that  there  were  long  monologues  and  recita- 
tives of  no  special  interest,  the  familiarity  of  the 
audience  consisting  in  a knowledge  of  the  gen- 
eral plot,  or  story,  and  not  with  the  words 
uttered. 

When  it  is  realized  that  there  are  a number  of 
languages  and  hundreds  of  dialects  in  China,  it 
will  be  understood  that  a troupe  foreign  to  the 
immediate  locality  might  be  speaking  in  a tongue 
unintelligible  to  its  auditors.  If  the  text,  in 
Chinese  characters,  could  be  flashed  upon  a screen 
as  the  play  proceeded,  then  from  one  end  of  the 
Empire  to  the  other,  a fair  idea  of  what  was  being 
said  could  be  gathered  by  all  the  scholars,  at  least. 

In  the  acting  there  were  the  same  absurd  con- 
ventionalities that  one  sees  on  the  Japanese  stage. 
For  example,  the  hero  is  supposed  to  ride  away 
on  horseback;  to  represent  this  equestrian  feat 
he  waves  his  hand  in  the  air,  flings  his  legs  over 
an  imaginary  horse,  and  then  prances  — but  not 
off  the  stage.  As  in  Japan,  the  woman’s  part  is 
taken  by  a man.  To  get  the  appearance  of  the 
compressed  foot  of  the  woman,  the  whole  foot  is 
rigidly  bound  with  bands,  and  a small  shoe  is  pro- 
vided, which  fits  the  toes,  the  actor  literally 

86 


A CHINESE  THEATRE  AND  PRISON 


moving  about  on  the  tips  of  the  toes,  at  the 
same  time  squeaking  in  a high  falsetto  voice. 
The  impersonation  is  wonderful. 

The  orchestra,  consisting  of  a number  of  virile 
performers,  was  provided  with  a variety  of  musi- 
cal instruments,  the  counterparts  of  which  may 
be  seen  in  our  ethnological  museums.  To  hear 
their  music,  however,  one  must  visit  a Chinese 
theatre.  Of  all  distracting  and  nerve-harrowing 
noises,  a Chinese  orchestra  certainly  exceeds  all. 
We  have  heard  the  marriage,  war,  and  death 
songs  of  the  Zulu,  Kaffir,  Hottentot,  and  other 
Africans,  and  there  was  something  pleasing  in 
their  quaint  and  subdued  intonations.  We  re- 
call with  delight  the  weird  music  of  drums  and 
other  instruments  of  a party  of  travelling  Arabs. 
But  Chinese  music!  — words  fail  in  describing  it. 
Picture  one  performer  vigorously  fiddling  away 
at  an  instrument  that  might  be  a cross  between 
a violin  and  a banjo,  and,  like  all  crosses,  inherit- 
ing the  bad  points  of  each,  — fiddling,  without  a 
single  rest  or  pause,  a continuous  series  of  high 
squeaks.  The  noise  might  be  roughly  imitated 
with  the  high  strings  of  a violin  compressed 
within  an  inch  of  the  bridge,  and  filed  away  at 

87 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

by  a boy.  Another  individual  played  an  instru- 
ment something  like  a banjo,  with  the  same  vigor, 
but  the  notes  could  not  be  heard.  A third  one 
had  three  curious  tight-skinned  and  high-pitched 
drums,  the  sound  given  from  them  much  resem- 
bling blows  struck  upon  the  bottom  of  a wooden 
keg.  Now  and  then  the  loose  clanging  sound  of 
a gong  would  be  heard.  Lastly,  the  trumpet,  a 
short  kind  of  clarionet,  with  brass  opening,  and 
possibly  all  brass.  This  was  the  hair-raising, 
goose-fleshing,  and  cranial-splitting  instrument 
— whew!  As  we  recall  the  lusty  vigor  of  that 
blower,  the  enthusiasm  of  his  motions,  and  the 
undisguised  delight  he  evidently  took  in  this 
brain-throbbing  torture,  it  seemed  that  the  last 
trump  must  be  a gigantic  something  after  the 
same  kind ; for  certainly  none  could  rest  easy  in 
their  graves  with  such  sound  waves  agitating  their 
skeletons.  The  hall  being  virtually  naked  of  all 
sound-breaking  projections,  the  uproar  was  all  the 
more  frightful.  There  was  a flute  of  some  kind, 
and  its  sounds  were  by  no  means  unpleasant.  In 
justice  to  the  performers,  it  is  proper  to  add  that 
there  was  a certain  symmetry  in  their  music,  in 
the  fact  that  it  was  all  equally  execrable.  Syn- 

88 


A CHINESE  THEATRE  AND  PRISON 


chronous  movements  were  detected,  and  a repe- 
tition of  similar  strains,  so  that  a Chinese  ear 
might  recognize  separate  airs ; we  detected  only 
a discordant  and  horrid  noise. 

Many  of  the  performers  were  magnificently 
dressed  with  garments  worked  in  gold  and  richly 
colored  silks,  and  the  most  surprising  head  orna- 
ments. The  long-sleeved  gowns  were  used  to 
screen  their  faces  in  talking;  fans  were  used  in 
the  same  way;  and  one  could  pick  up  many  in- 
teresting facts  in  watching  these  strange  people. 

After  this  came  some  extraordinary  gymnas- 
tic performances  in  which  men,  clumsily  though 
gorgeously  dressed  in  leg-entangling  drapery  and 
elaborate  head-dress,  with  four  flags  projecting 
from  their  backs  like  wings,  would  leap  into  the 
air  and  turn  somersaults.  Others  would  leap 
from  a high  point,  striking  another  in  the  chest, 
and  fall  with  a tremendous  thud  to  the  floor, 
striking  on  their  backs,  and  jump  up  again  — not 
only  alive,  but  not  a feather  or  ruffle  disarranged. 
And  all  the  while  this  marvellous  gymnastic  per- 
formance was  going  on,  the  orchestra  seemed  to 
have  broken  loose,  if  such  a thing  were  possible, 
and  was  pouring  forth  a series  of  sounds  that 

89 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


makes  one’s  brain  reel  to  recall.  It  is  enough 
to  state  that  one  muscular  performer  had  two 
immense  gongs  which  he  clashed  together  with 
all  his  might  and  main.  These  crashing  blows 
were  repeated  again  and  again,  until  one  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  tympanic  membranes 
of  the  Chinese  must  be  of  the  nature  of  hosf’s 
skin,  such  as  they  stretch  upon  their  drum 
frames. 

I saw  a disgusting  sight  from  the  banks  of  a 
narrow  canal  near  Shanghai.  In  the  canal  were 
low  open  barges,  like  canal-boats,  which  had  been 
poled  or  towed  down  from  the  Interior.  These 
were  the  receptacles  for  the  sewage  of  the  city, 
and  carriers  were  coming  like  a string  of  ants, 
bearing  buckets  of  this  material,  which  they  had 
collected  in  the  city  from  house  to  house.  These 
were  emptied  with  a splash  into  the  barges,  in 
every  case  some  of  the  stuff  spattering  into  the 
river.  The  canal  itself  was  green  and  yellow 
with  filth,  and  yet  women  were  along  the  banks 
washing  rice,  and  some  were  dipping  up  water 
in  buckets  and  carrying  it  away,  possibly  to 
water  their  gardens,  and  one  could  not  imagine  a 
more  generous  fertilizer. 

90 


A CHINESE  THEATRE  AND  PRISON 


Thus  far  I had  seen  the  interior  of  three  houses 
of  the  more  favored  classes ; they  were  all  essen- 
tially alike  in  the  high  walls,  court-yards,  rooms, 
and  dirt,  and  I was  told  that  one  house  would 
answer  as  a type  for  the  thousands  in  Shanghai. 


91 


VI 


A PEASANT’S  HOUSE 


VI 


A PEASANT’S  HOUSE 

The  next  day  I had  an  opportunity  of 
walking  into  the  country  with  Mr. 
Drew,  who  was  to  visit  an  old  nurse 
of  the  family.  This  woman  owned  a little  house 
on  the  side  of  a muddy  creek.  Whether  the 
house  had  belonged  to  a richer  person  before 
coming  into  her  possession,  I did  not  learn  ; it 
was  interesting,  however,  to  observe  the-  conspic- 
uous gateway  to  the  yard.  The  prominent  gate- 
way is  a distinguishing  feature  in  the  Orient. 
The  evidence  of  taste  and  time  bestowed  on  the 
main  entrance  is  not  only  seen  in  Japan,  but  in 
Anam,  the  Malay  Peninsula,  and  Java,  though  in 
Java  there  are  so  many  Chinese  that  this  feature 
may  be  due  to  Chinese  influence.  In  our  coun- 
try and  in  Europe  the  estates  of  the  wealthy  are 
marked  by  prominent  and  conspicuous  gateways, 
while  among  the  masses  this  is  rarely  made  a 
prominent  feature. 


95 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


The  fence  on  one  side  was  a ramshackle  affair 
of  split  bamboo  in  braided  patterns ; on  the  other 
side  simply  bamboo  poles.  The  framework  of 
the  gateway  showed  some  little  carving;  the 
superstructure  was  heavily  tiled  and  the  ridge 
had  tiles  placed  vertically,  as  in  the  roof  ridges 


already  described.  The  gateway  and  fence  were 
in  the  usual  dilapidated  condition.  The  house, 
or  houses,  formed  three  sides  of  a quadrangle, 
the  fence  and  gateway  bordering  the  road  making 
the  fourth  side,  the  space  thus  enclosed  making 
a rather  spacious  yard,  which  was  wet  and  muddy. 
There  were  no  evidences  of  an  attempt  at  a 

96 


Farmhouse  near  Shanghai 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

garden,  and  the  yard  and  surroundings  presented 
a most  forlorn  appearance.  The  houses  were  one 
story  in  height,  and  the  roofs  were  all  heavily 
tiled.  The  walls  of  the  main  house  which  faced 
the  gateway  were  wattled  and  plastered,  though 
this  material  was  broken  away  in  spots,  exposing 
the  bamboo  wattle  beneath.  The  main  entrance 
to  the  house  was  recessed,  and  on  the  right  and 
left  sides  of  this  recess  were  the  doorways,  and  on 
each  side  of  the  entrance  was  a window  closed 
by  two  outside  wooden  shutters.  Wooden  hooks 
were  suspended  by  cords  from  the  overhanging 
eaves,  and  on  these  hooks  hung  the  peculiar 
Chinese  shoe  to  dry,  an  indication  that  the  felted 
sole  of  the  Chinese  shoe  absorbs  water.  A mass 
of  straw  and  twigs  was  piled  up  on  the  side  of  the 
house,  this  material  representing  the  wood-pile. 
Charcoal  is  also  used,  as  in  Japan,  but  not  by  the 
poorer  people.  For  fuel,  dead  leaves,  bits  of  straw, 
and  twigs  are  garnered  along  the  roadside.  The 
cast-iron  kettles  are  made  with  the  thinnest  pos- 
sible bottoms,  in  order  to  utilize  every  particle  of 
heat  emitted  from  the  burning  of  this  light  ma- 
terial. In  our  great  country,  with  its  long  streaks 
of  Oriental  blindness  and  stupidity  in  not  enact- 

98 


A PEASANT’S  HOUSE 


ing  and  enforcing  proper  laws  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  forests,  it  will  not  be  many  generations 
before  able-bodied  Americans  will  be  seen  picking 
up  dead  leaves  and  dried  pods  along  the  road  in 
order  to  cook  their  dinners. 


Farmhouse  near  Shanghai 


The  accompanying  figure  presents  a view  of 
another  building  of  this  group  running  at  right 
angles  to  the  main  house,  its  end  abutting  on  the 
road.  In  this  portion  was  a bedchamber  and  also 
a large  room  for  the  making  of  homespun  cloth. 
The  little  wooden  frame-work  resting  on  top  of  a 
big  water-jar,  and  in  its  turn  supporting  a shallow 
pan  which  had  been  dropped  there,  represents  a 

99 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


sort  of  cage  in  which  the  baby  is  confined  when 
sitting  on  the  ground.  The  walls  of  the  building 
were  of  brick  and  plaster.  An  abutment  is  seen 
at  the  end  of  the  house  next  the  fence,  and  in 
this  abutment  was  a little  square  niche  with  an 
ornament  of  flowers  made  in  stucco.  Over  the 
doorway  was  a bundle  of  green  shrubbery,  evi- 
dently placed  there  to 
commemorate  some 
event.  The  window, 
like  the  others,  was 
closed  with  heavy 
wooden  shutters.  Be- 
sides the  large  win- 
dow were  a few  small 
openings  with  close 
frame-work  covered 
with  paper.  Within 
was  a large  barn-like 
room  with  dirt  floor 
and  roof  rafters  show- 
ing, in  which  were  all  the  devices  for  convert- 
ing raw, cotton  into  cloth,  — a primitive  cotton 
factory.  These  simple  and  home-made  devices 
were  so  interesting  that  I sketched  them  all.  The 

lOO 


A PEASANT’S  HOUSE 


cotton-gin  consisted  of  two  wooden  rollers  moved 
by  a treadle  which  was  connected  with  what  an- 
swered to  a balance-wheel  in  the  shape  of  a heavy 
stick  of  wood  larger  at  the  two  ends  ; the  slender 
roller  was  of  iron ; all  the  other  portions  were  of 


wood  held  together  by  wooden  pins.  The  little 
hand-crank  at  one  end  was  simply  to  start  the 
machine.  The  device  for  making  the  raw  cotton 
fluffy,  and  shaking  out  the  dirt  seemed  to  be  a 
very  efficient  machine  ; it  consisted  of  a heavy 
wooden  piece,  seven  feet  in  length,  abruptly 


Device  for  cleaning  cotlon 


lOI 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


curved  at  one  end ; a stout  cord  was  strung  to 
this  as  in  a bow,  a bridge  at  one  end  enabling 
the  cord  to  be  made  tense.  In  appearance  it 
reminded  one  of  a colossal  bass-viol  bow.  This 
was  held  from  the  ground  by  a cord  which  was 


A 7'ude  wooden  spinning-wheel  used  by  the  country  people 


fastened  to  the  end  of  a long  bamboo,  rising  up- 
right from  the  ground,  but  now  bent  from  the 
weight  of  the  bow.  To  operate  this,  the  person 
sits  on  the  ground  ; before  him  is  a pile  of  dirty 
and  compacted  cotton;  in  the  left  hand  he  holds 
the  bow ; in  the  right  a thick  knobbed  stick ; with 
this  he  violently  twangs  the  cord,  which  vibrates 
rapidly  in  the  pile  of  cotton  in  a most  effective 
manner.^  The  cotton  by  this  process  is  quickly 

1 My  friend  Mr.  Edward  Atkinson,  an  expert  in  all  matters  relating  to 
cotton,  as  well  as  a thousand  other  subjects,  in  response  to  my  inquiry 

102 


A PEASANT'S  HOUSE 


reduced  to  a fluffy  condition,  and  is  now  ready  for 
the  spinning-wheel,  which  was  a primitive  and 
rickety  affair.  The  wheel  was  turned  by  the 


foot  resting  on  the  bar,  the  woman  sitting  on 
the  bench  at  her  work.  Three  spindles  came 

about  this  primitive  device,  kindly  writes  to  me  as  follows  : “ Referring 
to  the  use  of  the  Bow  in  China,  not  only  for  clearing  the  cotton  fibre 
from  leaf  or  motes,  but  also  for  separating  the  fibre  from  the  seed,  it  may 
be  interesting  to  state  that  this  practice  of  detaching  the  fibres  of  cotton 
from  the  seed  is  probably  as  old  as  the  use  of  cotton  itself. 

“ When  the  first  shipment  of  cotton  of  seven  bales  was  made  from 
Georgia  to  Liverpool,  it  was  thought  in  the  Liverpool  Custom  House 

103 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


out  just  above  the  wheel,  and  three  threads  were 
spun  at  a time.  The  loom  was  equally  rude,  and 
the  old  woman,  who  was  weaving  when  we  entered 
the  room,  was  working  with  the  same  tireless 
energy  that  seems  to  characterize  these  people 


in  all  their  vocations.  The  old  nurse  was  very 
polite  and  kind,  and  seemed  greatly  interested  in 
showing  and  explaining  everything. 

that  so  large  a quantity  could  not  have  been  made  in  Georgia  or  in  the 
United  States.  It  was  named  ‘bowed  Georgia  cotton,’  the  saw-gin  or 
engine  not  having  been  invented  and  the  lot  having  been  prepared  with  a 
bow.  The  term  ‘ bowed  Georgia,’  became  a trade-term,  even  after  the 
saw-gin  had  taken  the  place  of  the  old  methods,  and  may  be  occasionally 
used  or  heard  to  this  day. 

“ This  process  of  separating  by  the  snapping  of  a bow-string  can  be 
applied  to  the  types  of  cotton  that  are  slightly  attached  to  the  seed.  The 
East  India  cotton  is  very  closely  attached  to  the  seed,  and  is  removed  by 
a roller-gin  called  the  ‘churka,’  the  bow-string  not  having  sufficient  force 
and  the  saw  breaking  the  staple.” 


104 


A PEASANTS  HOUSE 


The  figure  on  page  104  shows  the  baby’s  cradle, 
consisting  of  a thick  basket  held  in  a stout  frame- 
work of  wood.  The  mother  removed  the  sleeping 
baby  and  placed  it  in  what  looked  like  an  old- 
fashioned  milk-churn,  but  was  in  reality  a baby’s 
high-chair.  A floor- 
like partition  within 
prevented  the  baby 
from  going  to  the 
bottom.  The  inside 
of  this  churn-like  re- 
ceptacle was  highly 
polished  by  the  suc- 
cessive genera- 
tion of  babies 
who  had  wrig- 
gled in  it. 

During  all  my  sketching  in  the  house  I was 
surrounded  by  fifteen  or  twenty  men,  women, 
and  children  who  had  drifted  in  from  the  neigh- 
borhood. The  crowd  seemed  to  be  quite  as  in- 
quisitive as  a Japanese  crowd  under  similar 
circumstances,  but  far  less  gentle  and  polite. 
In  this  house  I was  permitted  to  see  a woman’s 
bedroom.  The  room  was  small  and  dark,  and  it 

105 


Baby  chair 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


was  difficult  to  get  enough  light,  even  with  the 
door  open,  to  make  out  clearly  the  various  ob- 
jects and  details  of  the  place.  The  appointments 
were  not  unlike  those  in  our  own  chambers : a 


dressing-table  littered  with  the  usual  clutter  of 
a disorderly  bedroom;  a bureau  holding  three 
drawers  rested  against  the  wall.  On  the  top  was 
a tall  wooden  candlestick,  a few  small  jars,  and 
other  objects.  On  the  wall  behind  was  a hanging 
scroll  with  the  picture  of  some  god  or  household 
deity  done  in  black  and  white.  Chairs,  low  stools, 

io6 


A PEASANT'S  HOUSE 


and  a table,  with  no  semblance  of  order,  were 
about  the  room.  In  one  corner  was  a large  finely 
carved  bedstead,  with  heavy  frame  above  to  sup- 
port the  bed-curtains.  The  rafters  of  the  room 
were  exposed  above.  At  one  side  was  an  attic 
or  space  under  the  roof,  the  floor  of  which  formed 
the  ceiling  of  an  adjoining  room.  I noticed,  as 
with  us,  the  same  accumulation  of  attic  rubbish, 
too  useful  to  throw  away  and  too  worthless  to 
keep,  — stuff  upon  which  more  distracting  brain 
energy  has  been  wasted  by  man  than  in  the 
writing  of  big  books. 

The  few  temples  I saw  in  Shanghai  left  the 
impression  of  neglect.  They  were  certainly  dirty, 
as  were  the  priests  connected  with  them.  It 
was  hard  to  trace  the  same  cult  after  seeing  the 
Japanese  Buddhist  temples.  In  one  temple  which 
I visited  there  was  a room,  more  like  a shop  and 
suggesting  a dime  museum,  opening  directly  off 
the  street,  in  which  were  various  effigies  arranged 
in  order  on  a series  of  step-like  shelves.  A few 
people  were  engaged  in  prayer.  In  the  midst  of 
these  devotions  a woman  came  in  and  scolded  in 
a high,  strident  voice.  No  one  interfered  or  ap- 

107 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


parently  noticed  her  actions.  My  escort  thought 
she  was  insane. 


As  I left  the  city  at  twilight,  after  my  brief  ex- 
perience within  its  walls,  and  glanced  back  through 
the  gateway  to  take  a last  look  at  its  narrow 
streets  and  low  buildings,  and  recalled  the  mass 
of  filth,  misery,  and  small-pox,  I noticed  a Jesuit 
priest  with  heavy  black  beard  and  unmistakable 
French  face,  but  dressed  in  full  Chinese  costume. 
He  was  entering  the  city,  in  which  he  lived  sur- 
rounded by  all  this  squalor  and  misery.  I could 
not  help  admiring  his  noble  devotion,  and  could 
readily  understand  why  the  Catholics  make  such 
progress  in  China  in  comparison  with  that  made 
by  the  missionaries  of  other  sects,  who  usually 
live  in  the  foreign  settlement,  associated  with 
many  of  the  comforts  of  their  more  sinful  breth- 
ren. I further  realized  that  a convert  of  this 
priest  might  compare  notes  with  a Catholic  con- 
vert in  Thibet  or  Cochin  China,  and  there  would 
be  no  divergence  of  doctrines  in  the  minutest 
particular. 


io8 


VII 


CANTON 


VII 


CANTON 

After  a hasty  good-bye  to  my  American 
friends,  who  had  been  so  kind  to  me,  I 
started  for  Hong  Kong  in  an  English 
steamer,  having  a quiet,  uneventful  voyage,  good 
substantial  food,  exceedingly  pleasant  travelling 
companions,  and  whist  most  of  the  time. 

In  sailing  up  the  passage  to  Hong  Kong  an 
expanse  of  rocks  loomed  up  which  seen  on  the 
Norway  or  Maine  coasts  would  have  been  at  once 
recognized  as  showing  typical  glacial  erosion. 

From  the  damp,  cold,  and  shivering  weather  of 
Shanghai  we  had  been  transported  in  three  days 
to  a tropical  climate.  In  the  parks  and  gardens 
were  palms,  big  ferns,  and  a most  luxuriant 
vegetation. 

The  city  is  policed  by  Sepoys,  and  on  the 
streets  one  meets  many  races  : heavily  turbaned 
Hindoos;  Parsees,  with  their  caste-marks  on  their 
foreheads,  which,  curiously  enough,  seemed  per- 


III 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


fectly  natural;  Malay  and  Indo-Chinese,  and  red- 
coated  British  soldiers.  The  greater  mass  of  the 
people  were,  of  course,  Chinese,  who,  alone  of  all 
the  various  peoples,  showed  the  same  interest 
and  persistent  activity  that  I had  observed  in 
Shanghai.  There  were  slight  differences  in  the 
dressing  of  the  women’s  hair,  but  the  clothing 
appeared  the  same,  and  the  narrow  streets  of  the 
Chinese  quarter,  though  cleaner  on  account  of 
English  domination,  sent  out  the  same  unsavory 
odors. 

A day  only  in  Hong  Kong,  and  late  in  the 
afternoon  I left  the  city  on  a steamer  bound  for 
Canton,  a regular  white,  side-wheel  steamer  of 
the  American  type,  with  a Salem  commander. 
Captain  Lefavour.  It  seemed  odd  to  find  a stack 
of  cutlasses  and  loaded  guns  in  the  main  cabin, 
and  in  each  stateroom  a cutlass  in  a rack  near 
the  berth.  On  inquiry  as  to  the  necessity  of 
these  war-like  preparations,  I was  told  that  only 
a few  years  before  the  steamer  “ Swift  ” on  the 
same  route  had  been  captured  by  pirates,  and  all 
the  foreigners  but  one,  on  board,  murdered.  As 
pirates  still  abound  on  the  river,  these  precautions 
are  wisely  considered  necessary. 

II2 


CANTON 


It  began  raining  at  dark,  and  continued  to  rain 
throughout  the  night.  The  darkness  was  impen- 
etrable, and  it  seemed  incredible  that  any  one 
could  navigate  a boat  in  a tortuous  river  under 
such  conditions.  We  reached  Canton  the  next 
morning  at  nine  o’clock,  the  boat  having  anchored 
during  the  night  on  account  of  the  storm. 

A wonderful  sight  presents  itself  as  you  near 
the  wharf.  The  river  in  places,  and  over  large 
areas,  fairly  swarms  with  covered  boats,  literally 
thousands  of  them  of  all  sizes  and  conditions, 
and  these  boats  represent  the  dwelling-places  of 
families,  who  for  generations  have  been  born, 
have  lived,  and  have  died  without  knowing  any 
other  living-place.  All  the  trades  and  manufac- 
tures of  a great  city  are  represented  in  this 
agglommeration  : fruit-boats,  pedlers’  boats  of  all 
kinds,  and  the  famous  flower-boats,  or,  more  prop- 
erly, gaudy  boats,  a rendezvous  for  harlots. 

The  accompanying  figure  is  a sketch  of  a pot- 
tery pedler,  who,  with  his  stock-in-trade  of  pots 
and  jars,  pans  and  flowerpots,  piled  to  the  gun- 
wales, plied  his  trade  up  and  down  the  river,  and 
in  and  out  of  this  maze  of  floating  craft. 

One  could  not  help  wondering  at  the  distrac- 

s 113 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


tions  of  a census-taker  were  he  assigned  to  enu- 
merate the  river  population.  The  conveniences 
of  such  a residence  were  immediately  apparent 
when  it  was  realized  that  one  could  easily  sweep 
overboard  all  the  dirt  and  dispose  of  all  the  gar- 
bage ; there  would  be  no  sewage  nuisance,  unless 
the  river  might  be  considered  a sewer,  and  in 


Pottery  pedler  on  Canton  River 


either  case  the  Chinese  are  apparently  immuned 
physically,  — absolutely  so  mentally,  — and  filth 
and  stench  give  them  no  annoyance  ; no  lawns  to 
mow  or  sprinkle ; no  wells  running  dry  or  water 
to  shut  off,  and  when  a child  disappears,  no  har- 
rowing suspense  for  days,  but  quick  realization 
of  the  calamity,  if  calamity  it  appears  to  these 
cultivated  savages  ; no  upstairs  nor  downstairs ; 
no  cellar  to  clear  up,  nor  attic  to  put  in  order. 

1 14 


CANTON 


The  boat  is  not  only  a residence,  but  a passen- 
ger-conveyance, a baggage-wagon,  a pedler’s  cart, 
a blacksmith-shop,  a bakery ; indeed,  it  lends  itself 
to  every  demand  of  life,  active  or  idle.  A glimpse 
into  some  of  the  boats  showed  them  to  be  fairly 
clean,  and  prettily  fitted  up  in  the  way  of  pictures, 
bright-colored  curtains,  and  tinsel.  The  larger 
boats  had  lashed  to  their  sides  blocks  of  wood  in 
which  were  square  holes  for  the  convenience  of 
boatmen  who  have  to  ward  them  off  or  push 
along  their  own  boat.  As  to  the  model  of  these 
boats,  for  they  all  seemed  alike  save  in  size ; a 
watermelon  cut  lengthwise  would  give  a very 
good  idea  of  their  shape.  They  were  apparently 
cranky,  but  evidently  dry. 

As  soon  as  the  steamer  made  fast  to  the  wharf, 
a guide,  who,  to  my  surprise,  turned  out  to  be  a 
woman,  was  secured  for  me.  Off  we  started  in 
a drizzly  rain,  through  a maze  of  narrow  streets, 
to  find  the  foreign  quarter,  where  resided  a few 
gentlemen  to  whom  I had  letters.  A charming 
feature  of  the  East  is  the  unbounding  hospitality 
of  foreign  residents;  even  the  English  become 
more  like  human  beings  when  separated  from 
their  snug  little  island.  Tempting  as  the  prof- 

115 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

fered  hospitality  was,  I had  to  decline,  as  my  time 
was  exceedingly  limited  and  it  was  necessary  that 
I should  get  as  near  the  Chinese  as  possible.  This 
was  fully  understood,  and  I was  directed  to  a hotel 
on  the  other  side  of  Pearl  River  which  was  in  the 
midst  of  Chinadom,  and  was  kept  by  a Portuguese 
who  had  married  a Chinese.  I was  also  given  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Sampson,  the  Director  of  the  Gov- 
ernment school.  Off  we  started  again,  my  female 
guide  appearing  quite  as  masculine  in  her  jacket 
as  the  other  sex  did  with  their  smooth  faces  and 
hair-braids  down  their  backs.  A boat  was  en- 
gaged, literally  the  man’s  house,  and  he  and  his 
wife  rowed  us  across  the  river.  Opportunity  was 
then  offered  for  a further  examination  of  this  forest 
of  boats  that  lined  the  shore  in  a deep  layer  for 
miles.  It  was  interesting  to  peer  into  some  of 
them  and  discover  little  domestic  scenes : cook- 
ing, tinkering,  children  playing,  and,  indeed,  just 
those  activities  that  one  might  see  in  a busy 
street.  We  finally  reached  the  hotel,  which  was 
certainly  all  I could  desire  in  the  way  of  proximity 
to  the  Chinese.  With  the  exception  of  the  Por- 
tuguese landlord,  I was  apparently  the  only  for- 
eigner in  the  region  and  the  only  guest  at  the 

1 16 


CANTON 


hotel.  I say  hotel,  for  thus  it  was  labelled  on  the 
outside,  but  its  appearance  reminded  one  of  a 
small  tenement  house.  It  was  with  regret  that 
I gave  up  the  comforts  and  quiet  of  European 
civilization  in  the  Orient,  with  its  tennis-courts, 
flower-gardens,  whist,  and  the  delights  with  which 
the  English  and  Americans  surround  themselves. 
I use  the  word  European, 
for  the  avoidable  noises  we 


two  in  front  and  one  be- 
hind. My  first  quest  was  for  the  Government 
school  and  Mr.  Sampson,  and  away  we  went  at  a 
fairly  rapid  pace,  through  such  sights,  sounds,  and 
odors  as  one  might  expect  to  find  on  some  other 


produce  in  America  are 
only  equalled,  not  exceeded, 
by  the  Chinese  with  their 
fire-crackers,  ear  piercing 
trumpets  and  gongs. 


The  landlord  arranged 
for  two  palanquins,  or 
chairs,  as  they  are  called, 
one  being  for  my  guide. 
Each  of  these  was  borne  on 
the  shoulders  of  three  men. 


So-called  chair  hi  which  one 
travels 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

planet,  and  a very  addled  one  at  that.  The  city 
of  Canton  is  much  cleaner  than  Shanghai.  The 
narrow  streets  are  paved  with  stone  or  big  square 
bricks,  and  the  buildings,  mostly  of  one  story,  are 
all  of  brick,  with  thick,  solid-looking  walls.  Nar- 
row shops,  or  cells,  consist  in  front  of  a wide  door- 
way and  a wide  window  through  which  one, 
without  entering,  may  haggle  for  the  goods  dis- 
played. The  shops  are  rather  dark  within,  as  the 
streets  are  narrow,  and  overhead  reed  mattings, 
supported  by  wooden  frames,  provide  a constant 
shade  from  the  sun’s  rays,  which  in  the  latitude 
of  Canton  pour  down  with  tropical  fervor.  The 
vertical  signs  with  their  gilt  characters  form  a 
varied  fringe  on  each  side  of  the  narrow,  irregu- 
lar streets,  which  in  many  cases  are  hardly 
wide  enough  for  two  chairs  to  pass.  The  same 
activity  is  seen  here,  despite  the  heat,  as  in 
Shanghai.  The  crowded  thoroughfares  are  still 
more  congested  by  the  various  artisans  carry- 
ing on  their  occupations  in  the  middle  of  the 
streets,  in  fact,  taking  up  both  sides.  The  peri- 
patetic carpenter,  with  his  stock  of  tools  and 
lumber,  over  which  one  has  to  step ; the  petty 
traders  and  fabricators,  crowding  the  narrow 

ii8 


CANTON 


lanes  in  a way  that  would  not  be  tolerated 
in  our  country  for  a single  moment;  the  ham- 
mering, planing,  rice-pounding,  the  loud  din  of 
the  coppersmith,  the  musical  clink  of  the  black- 
smith’s hammer,  the  multitudinous  variety  of 
weird  street-cries,  with  the  occasional  rattling 
outburst  of  fire-crackers,  all  made  up  a perfect 
pandemonium.  The  three  senses  of  sight,  hear- 
ing, and  smell  were  incessantly  assailed  by  inter- 
esting, ear-splitting,  and  disgusting  impacts.  It 
was  all  intensely  absorbing,  and  I had  my  eyes 
everywhere. 

We  had  a long  distance  to  go  to  reach  the 
Government  school,  and  the  crowds  through 
which  we  forced  our  way  were  anything  but 
friendly.  If  the  Chinese  of  Shanghai  appeared 
rude  and  indifferent,  the  Cantonese  appeared 
decidedly  hostile ; nor  could  I wonder  at  this  atti- 
tude, for  at  the  time  of  my  visit  the  French  were 
threatening  their  southern  frontier,  and  Manchu 
troops  were  passing  through  the  city  on  the  way 
to  repel  the  expected  invasion.  Aside  from  this, 
there  was  not  a man  who  was  not  more  or  less 
familiar  with  the  history  of  the  Opium  War  and 
the  calamitous  horrors  which  accompanied  it, 

1 19 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


when  humiliation  and  death  had  come  upon 
them  in  fullest  measure  from  the  hand  of  the 
hated  foreigner. 

On  reaching  the  school  I presented  my  letter 
and  was  received  very  kindly  by  Mr.  Sampson, 
who  at  once  conducted  me  to  the  recitation-room, 
in  which  were  five  students.  They  all  rose  and 
said,  “ Good-morning,”  like  a set  of  automatons. 
Mr.  Sampson  requested  them  to  read  in  turn 
from  an  English  history,'  and  this  they  did  fairly 
well.  On  my  expressing  surprise  at  the  small- 
ness of  the  class,  Mr.  Sampson  told  me  that  one 
of  his  greatest  difficulties  was  to  impress  upon 
the  pupils  the  necessity  of  punctuality;  some 
days  there  would  be  a dozen  or  more  in  the  class, 
and  at  other  times  none.  Here,  in  a city  of  a 
million  of  inhabitants,  was  this  one  little  school 
to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the  people  for  a knowl- 
edge of  foreign  studies.  I could  not  help  con- 
trasting this  with  T5kyo,  having  the  same 
population,  with  its  great  University,  every  stu- 
dent of  which  becomes  well  versed  in  English 
before  entering ; the  great  Medical  College,  every 
student  of  which  has  to  understand  German 
before  entering;  the  College  of  Engineering; 


120 


CANTON 


the  Foreign  Language  School,  where  a knowl- 
edge of  French,  German,  Russian,  and  Chinese 
is  required;  the  School  of  Chemical  Technology; 
the  Military  and  Naval  College,  — all  with  their 
foreign  professors  and  instructors,  and  the  mod- 
ern languages  taught  in  the  normal  and  high 
schools,  and  the  Nobles’  School,  as  well,  and 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  Japanese  students 
punctually  attending  the  classes  of  these  institu- 
tions until  graduation.  What  a contrast ! And 
yet  many  English  writers  regard  this  hunger  for 
knowledge  with  contempt,  and  esteem  the  Chi- 
nese as  superior,  basing  their  judgment  on  their 
own  leading  characteristic  as  a nation  of  shop- 
keepers, which  quality  has  dominated  nearly  all 
their  foreign  wars  and  their  acquisition  of  foreign 
territory.  Here  in  China  they  find  their  match 
in  the  astute  Chinese  merchant,  who  is  equally 
honored  and  respected. 

The  school  consisted  of  a few  private  dwellings 
which  had  been  brought  together  into  a series  of 
connecting  rooms  by  simply  knocking  a few 
holes  through  the  thick  partition-walls  of  the 
various  houses  allotted  for  the  purpose.  A plan 
of  Canton  with  its  houses  would  resemble  a 

I2I 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


gigantic  honeycomb,  the  cells  being  quadrang- 
ular instead  of  hexagonal.  Mr.  Sampson  kindly 
permitted  me  to  roam  over  the  premises  at  will, 
and  I secured  a number  of  sketches.  Many  of 
the  features  were  quite  unlike  those  of  the 
Shanghai  house,  though  the  reception-hall  was 
planned  like  the  northern  one,  and  the  minor 
details  of  work  and  ornament  were  somewhat 
similar.  I may  add  in  passing  that  the  people 
are  different,  their  language  is  different,  and  a 
Chinese  from  Shanghai  is  not  only  regarded  as 
a foreigner,  but  is  rather  brusquely  treated  as  one. 
In  Shanghai  I had  acquired  a few  expressions 
such  as  “ thank  you,”  “ good-morning,”  “ good-bye,” 
etc.,  which  had  always  been  understood  when  I 
ventured  to  use  them;  here  in  Canton  not  a 
single  expression  was  understood.  I was  told 
that  the  two  languages  were  as  different  as  Span- 
ish and  Portuguese  or  Italian.  They  all  use  the 
same  characters  in  writing,  however.  These 
characters  are  conventional  symbols,  each  one 
representing  a word  or  an  idea,  and  hence  called 
ideographs.  Over  this  vast  Empire,  as  well  as  in 
Korea  and  Japan,  the  written  language  is  the 
same.  Throughout  the  Chinese  Empire  there 


122 


CANTON 


are  a number  of  languages  and  hundreds  of  dia- 
lects. The  characters,  to  the  number  of  thou- 
sands, which  have  come  down  from  the  dim  past, 
have  the  same  meaning.  The  Chinese  must 
have  had,  early  in  their  history,  the  example  of 
phonetic  writing  on  their  western  borders,  but 
have  persisted  to  the  present  time  in  using  this 
archaic  and  cumbrous  device  in  expressing  their 
thoughts. 

My  first  hunt  was  for  the  kitchen,  for  here  is 
an  ethnic  feature  associated  with  family  life  that 
persists  without  change  for  generations.  It  is 
this  feature  that  is  rarely  described  or  figured  in 
books,  and  for  that  reason  I made  a special  effort 
to  secure  sketches  when  opportunity  offered. 
The  kitchen  range  was  long  and  had  accommoda- 
tions for  many  cooking-pots.  Each  opening  had 
three  spurs,  or  supports,  so  that  the  vessel  was 
held  some  little  distance  above  the  fire,  as  in  the 
little  braziers  in  Japan.  Here,  also,  I saw  in  an 
open  place  under  the  range  a number  of  braziers 
or  pottery  cooking-devices  in  which  charcoal  was 
used  for  fuel ; in  another  space  wood  was  piled. 
The  rice-kettles  were  large  and  somewhat  shal- 
low ; the  cover  had  the  appearance  of  a shallow 

123 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


mb  inverted.  Mr.  Sampson  informed  me  that 
the  Chinese  often  utilized  the  steam  arising  from 
the  boiling  of  rice  in  cooking  other  kinds  of  food. 
In  the  rice-boiler  range  was  a round  chimney 
which  conveyed  away  the  smoke,  but  for  the 


long  range  I failed  to  note  a chimney,  if  there 
was  one.  The  walls  of  the  kitchen  were  suffi- 
ciently blackened  by  smoke  to  indicate  that  no 
flue  existed.  At  the  end  of  the  long  range  was 
a large  jar  in  which  were  various  wooden  ladles 
for  convenient  use,  and  above,  a huge  bamboo 
brush,  or  stirrer,  was  resting  on  two  pegs.  The 

124 


CANTON 


materials  used  in  the  construction  of  these 
ranges  were  stone,  brick,  and  cement,  and  ap- 
peared strong  and  durable.  Here,  however,  the 
differences  ceased.  The  resemblances  to  the 
Shanghai  kitchen  were  again  seen  in  the  same 
amount  of  dirt  and  disorder;  the  floor  was  grimy 
with  dirt,  — street  dirt  ' 
tracked  in,  — broken 
jars  lying  about,  and 
everything  indicating  a 
shiftlessness  past  belief. 

At  the  opposite  end  of 
the  kitchen  was  a little 
shelter  where  sat  the 
cook,  who  smoked  his 
pipe  while  waiting  for 
the  kettle  to  boil.  It 
was  amazing  to  see 
this  tumble  d-d  own 

shanty  provided  with  the  most  elaborately  de- 
signed window-sashes,  the  details  of  which  I 
had  no  time  to  sketch.  The  carvings  over  the 
door  and  the  various  intricacies  had  all  to  be 
omitted  in  these  rapid  memorandum  outlines. 
The  kitchen  shrine  was  high  on  the  wall  near  the 

125 


Kitchen  shrine^  Canton 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


rice-kettle.  It  was  a rough  bamboo  framework 
capable  of  holding  a device,  in  which  candles  were 
burning;  near  by  were  a number  of  candles  made 
on  long  sticks.  These  were  stained  or  painted 
red,  and  at  the  ends  of  the  sticks  cross-pieces  of 
bamboo  were  tied  so  that  they  could  be  hung  on 
a peg,  as  shown  in  the  sketch.  A number  of 
Chinese  gathered  about  me  curious  to  know 
what  my  purpose  was  in  sketching,  and  Mr. 
Sampson,  who  spoke  Chinese,  asked  them  what 
they  supposed  I was  making  the  sketches  for, 
and  they  replied  that  the  foreigner  was  about 
to  build  a house,  and  was  getting  ideas  how 
best  to  do  it. 

From  the  kitchen  other  rooms  were  visited. 
One  room,  evidently  a study,  had  a very  large 
window  opening  into  a little  garden.  On  the 
garden-wall,  opposite  the  window,  was  a strip  of 
paper  on  which  were  written  four  Chinese  char- 
acters, which  after  some  trouble  were  rendered 
into  English  as  follows : “ May  fortunate  light 
illuminate  the  gardenr  The  translation  of  these 
inscriptions  in  China  always  comes  as  a surprise 
to  the  foreigner.  Many  of  them  express  the 
highest  emotions,  — a love  of  cleanliness,  exalted 

126 


CANTON 


piety,  tender  compassion,  etc. ; and  then  one 
contemplates  the  people  with  their  cruelty,  their 
filth,  their  ignorance,  the  abject  position  of 
women,  and  it  is  realized  that  the  inscriptions  are 
words  — empty  words,  conveying  no  more  mean- 


ing to  them  than  if  they  had  been  written  in 
Coptic.  I suppose  it  may  be  justly  said  that  the 
moral  teachings  of  Christ  have  in  the  same  way 
lost  their  potency  among  Christian  nations.  Dr. 
Gustave  Schlegel  translated  an  inscription  in  a 
Canton  gaudy  boat,  which  read,  “ Among  pure 
breezes  we  enjoy  the  moonlight.”  It  may  be 

127 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


said  with  truth  that  the  Chinese,  in  the  cities  and 
villages  at  least,  are  deprived  of  this  enjoyment. 
I was  shown  a few  bedrooms,  and  here,  as  in 
Shanghai,  the  bedsteads  were  ponderous  affairs, 
having  a high  frame,  with  tester  above  and  cur- 
tains pendent. 

The  sanitary  arrangements  were  simply  abom- 
inable. In  the  three  thousand  years  and  more 
that  the  Chinese  have  been  a nation,  natural  se- 
lection has  rooted  out  all  those  who  could  not 
survive  these  flagrant  violations  of  all  sanitary 
laws,  the  survivors  being  evidently  immuned 
against  microbes  that  would  kill  a European  out- 
right. The  same  curious  selection  has  doubtless 
taken  place  in  some  of  our  older  New  England 
towns,  where  the  native  can  drink  the  well-water 
with  impunity,  while  the  stranger  is  affected  at 
once. 

In  no  other  part  of  the  world,  unless  it  be  in 
Russia,  can  such  depths  of  filthiness  be  found  as 
in  the  cities  of  China.  Dr.  Arthur  H.  Smith,  in 
his  interesting  work  entitled  Chinese  Character’ 
istics,  says  that,  “No  matter  how  long  one  has 
lived  in  China,  he  remains  in  a condition  of  men- 
tal suspense,  unable  to  decide  that  most  interest- 

128 


CANTON 


ing  question,  so  often  raised,  Which  is  the 
filthiest  city  in  the  Empire  ? . . . The  traveller 
thinks  he  has  found  the  worst  Chinese  city  when 
he  has  inspected  Foo-Chow ; he  is  certain  of  it 
when  he  visits  Ning-Po,  and  doubly  sure  on 
arriving  at  Tientsin ; yet  after  all  it  will  not  be 
strange  if  he  heartily  recants  when  he  reviews 
with  candor  and  impartiality  the  claims  of 
Pekin ! ” 

The  curious  custom  of  compressing  the  feet  of 
women,  thus  in  a way  rendering  them  cripples 
for  life,  is  always  alluded  to  in  books  on  China. 
In  the  Peabody  Museum  of  Salem  are  a few  casts 
of  this  peculiar  deformation  made  by  the  late  Dr. 
G.  O.  Rogers,  formerly  of  Hong  Kong.  By  the 
accompanying  figure  of  one  of  these  casts  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  four  smaller  toes  are  made  to 
partially  bend  under  the  big  toe,  and  that  the  heel 
is  also  brought  forward.  This  is  accomplished 
by  tight  bandaging,  and  usually  begins  as  soon 
as  the  child  is  able  to  walk.  According  to  Wil- 
liams (see  The  Middle  Kingdom,  Vol.  II.  p.  38), 
this  practice  is  not  confined  to  the  higher  classes; 
on  the  contrary,  all  classes  of  society,  even  the 
9 129 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


poorest,  strive  to  be  in  fashion.  The  Tartars, 
though  becoming  Chinese  in  most  matters,  have 
had  the  good  sense  to  let  their  women’s  feet  de- 
velop normally.  As  to  the  origin  of  this  sav- 
age custom.  Dr.  Williams  says,  “A  difference 

of  opinion  exists  re- 
specting its  origin, 
some  accounts  stating 
that  it  arose  from  a 
desire  to  pattern  the 
club  feet  of  a popu- 
lar Empress,  others 
that  it  gradually  came 
into  use  from  the  great 
admiration  and  at- 
tempt to  imitate 
delicate  feet,  and 
others  that  it  was 

Plaster  c^ompressed feet  impOScd  by  the  men 

to  keep  their  wives 
from  gadding ; the  most  probable  accounts  do 
not  place  its  origin  further  back  than  a.  d.  950. 

. . . The  appearance  of  the  deformed  member 
when  uncovered  is  shocking,  crushed  out  of  all 
proportion  and  beauty,  and  covered  with  a wrink- 

130 


CANTON 


led  and  lifeless  skin  like  that  of  a washwoman’s 
hands  daily  immersed  in  soapsuds.” 

I was  much  interested  in  the  archery  methods 
of  the  Chinese,  and  an  assistant  in  the  school,  a 
Manchu,  illustrated  their  way  of  releasing  an 
arrow  from  a bow,  and  also  the  manner  of  string- 
ing a bow.  The  attitude  of  the  hand  in  pull- 
ing the  string  differs  greatly  in  different  races. 
The  Mongolian  draws  the  string  back  with  his 
thumb,  the  forefinger  being  bent  over  the  end 
to  strengthen  the  hold,  and  the  arrow  being  held 
in  the  crotch  made  by  the  junction  of  the  fore- 
finger and  thumb.  In  this  method  a ring  is  worn 
on  the  thumb  to  engage  the  string  and  to  pre- 
vent the  thumb  from  being  lacerated.  That  this 
method  is  very  ancient  is  seen  in  the  frequent 
allusions  to  the  subject  in  the  Chinese  classics. 
In  the  Shi  King^  or  book  of  ancient  Chinese 
poetry  (translation  of  Legge),  the  thumb-ring  is 
called  a thimble  and  also  a pan  chi,  or  finger 
regulator:  “With  archer’s  thimble  at  his  girdle 
hung,”  and,  again,  “ Each  right  thumb  wore  the 
metal  guard.”  The  Mediterranean  nations  draw 
the  string  with  the  tips  of  the  first  three  fingers, 
holding  the  arrow  between  the  tips  of  the  first 

131 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


and  second  fingers.  The  very  lowest  savage 
races  pull  the  string  by  holding  on  to  the  arrow 
with  the  thumb  and  forefinger ; a little  more  ad- 
vanced savage  assumes  this  attitude  supplemented 
by  bringing  the  second  and  third  finger  on  the 


string  and  thus  getting  a stronger  pull.  I have 
dealt  with  this  subject  more  fully  elsewhere.^ 

The  stringing  of  the  bow  is  somewhat  peculiar. 
The  bow  when  unstrung  turns  back  upon  itself 

1 “ Ancient  and  Modern  Methods  of  Arrow  Release.”  Bulletin  of 
the  Essex  Institute,  Salem,  Mass.,  Vol.  XVII. 

132 


CANTON 


and  is  so  short  when  in  this  state  that  it  occupies 
but  little  room  and  may  be  carried  in  a con- 
venient case.  In  stringing  the  bow  the  archer 
places  one  end  upon  his  left  knee,  the  bow  pass- 
ing under  the  right  leg,  then  by  pulling  up  the 
right  end  of  the  bow  he  can  slip  the  loop  of  the 
string  into  the  nock;  or  the  bow  is  bent  over 
the  knee  as  in  the  attitude  of  breaking  a stick 
and  an  associate  slips  the  loop  into  the  nock. 
Great  care  is  taken  of  the  bow  and  a box  is 
contrived  for  it  in  which  charcoal  is  burned  to 
preserve  the  bow  in  a perfectly  dry  condition. 

After  spending  a few  interesting  hours  at  this 
place,  Mr.  Sampson  accompanied  me  on  a trip 
to  one  of  the  city  gates  and  around  the  city  walls. 
In  the  palanquin,  or  chair,  one  sits  rather  high, 
as  the  poles  supporting  it  are  attached  to  the 
chair  nearly  two-thirds  from  the  top,  so  that  one 
gets  a better  view  than  in  riding  in  the  Japanese 
kago,  which  is  entirely  below  the  suspending  pole, 
and  one  is  near  the  ground. 

The  encircling  wall  of  Canton  is  twenty  to 
twenty-five  feet  in  height  and  of  great  thickness. 
It  is  nearly  seven  miles  in  length  and  consists 
of  an  immense  mass  of  masonry  resting  on  a 

133 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

sandstone  foundation.  The  top  of  the  wall  is 
reached  by  steps  and  also  by  gently  rising  in- 
clines. At  intervals  are  gates  over  which  are 
large  building  structures.  The  gates  within  have 
a semicircular  wall  perforated  by  another  gate- 
way. In  the  days  of  bows  and  spears,  which  the 


Chinese  still  retain,  these  grim  walls  must  have 
rendered  a city  almost  impregnable,  but  they  offer 
little  resistance  to  foreign  artillery  and  dynamite. 
A broad  roadway  is  found  on  top  of  the  wall 
which  is  apparently  never  used  except  by  loi- 
terers like  ourselves,  and  yet  this  thoroughfare  is 
wider  and  cleaner  than  any  avenue  I found  in  the 

134 


CANTON 


city  with  its  crowded  thousands.  Such  are  some 
of  the  exasperating  perplexities  that  one  encoun- 
ters in  China.  In  the  following  sketch  of  the  walls 
a huge  building  is  shown  through  which  the  road 
passes  and  below  which  is  one  of  the  city  gate- 
ways. The  building  was  erected  in  the  fifth  cen- 
tury, and  is  leaning  slightly.  The  crest  of  the 
wall  is  pierced  for  cannon,  and,  at  intervals,  were 
small  iron  cannon,  rusted  and  utterly  neglected. 
The  obsolete  and  puerile  methods  of  defence 
explained  at  once  the  easy  capture  of  the  city 
by  the  English  and  French  in  the  Opium  War. 

I rode  in  my  chair  for  a considerable  distance, 
and  then  got  out  and  walked.  In  the  crevices  of 
the  wall  and  in  a shady  nook  the  last  violets  of 
the  season  were  blooming.  Our  walk  led  us  to 
a five-storied  pagoda  built  in  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury. From  the  top  of  this  structure  a fine  view 
of  the  city  was  obtained.  It  was  interesting  to 
look  over  this  vast  city,  where  no  tall  buildings 
or  factory  chimney  overtopped  the  uniform  low 
level  of  the  roofs.  Here  and  there  were  the  im- 
posing roofs  of  Buddhist  temples  and  the  many 
roofed  pagodas  rising  conspicuously.  It  is  a 
remarkable  sight  to  have  a clear  view  across  a 

135 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


city  to  the  country  beyond.  The  absence  of  coal- 
smoke  accounted  for  the  clarity  of  the  atmos- 
phere. This  condition  was  markedly  so  in 
Toky5  twenty  years  ago,  and  presented  an  agree- 
able and  startling  difference  from  the  smoke- 


View  from  five-storied  pagoda,  Canton 

begrimed  cities  of 'Europe  and  America.  From 
the  pagoda  I made  a sketch  of  the  wall  which 
we  had  just  traversed.  In  the  distance  is  seen  a 
cluster  of  Buddhist  buildings,  monasteries  and 
the  like.  Outside  the  walls,  on  a sloping  hill- 
side, were  thousands  of  little  hummocks  of  earth, 
each  having  a tablet  of  some  sort ; here  and  there 

136 


CANTON 


an  amphitheatre-like  structure  of  stone  marked 
the  burial-place  of  some  wealthy  mandarin.  I 
examined  the  region  afterwards  from  the  wall, 
and  could  not  find  a trace  of  tree,  flower,  green 
leaf,  or  path  even.  The  shocking  state  of  the 
place,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Chinese  are 
supposed  to  worship  their  ancestors,  was  in 
marked  contrast  to  the  care  and  devotion  shown 
by  the  Japanese,  or  by  our  own  people,  in  their 
burial-places.  The  ground  around  the  pagoda 
was  covered  with  a tangled  mass  of  dead  leaves 
and  shrubs.  Here  I found  the  shells  of  a large 
snail,  a species  which  as  a boy  I had  preserved 
in  my  cabinet  as  a rare  and  valuable  object.  The 
ground  was  strewn  with  them,  and  a little  boy, 
who  had  observed  me  collecting  them,  at  once 
gathered  a handful  and  brought  them  to  me,  at 
the  same  time  promptly  holding  out  his  hand  for 
pay.  A few  people  were  in  the  enclosure  gather- 
ing the  dead  grass  and  twigs  for  fuel. 

Tired  out  with  the  novel  and  interesting  expe- 
riences of  the  day,  I reluctantly  gave  orders  to 
return  to  the  hotel,  and  again  we  passed  through 
the  same  seething  mass  of  people  crowding  the 
narrow  streets.  The  night  was  spent  in  writing 

137 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


up  my  notes.  My  room  opened  on  a platform 
directly  over  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  the  rear 
of  the  hotel  came  into  immediate  contact  with  the 


Chinese  houses.  The  river  was  almost  as  active 
with  traffic  as  the  streets.  A continual  humming 
sound,  with  occasional  shouts,  came  over  the 

138 


CANTON 


water,  and  from  the  region  behind  the  hotel  the 
same  eternal  din  of  the  various  activities  was 
going  on,  though  it  was  past  midnight ; this  din 
was  now  and  then  punctuated  by  loud  explosions 
of  cannon-crackers,  or  small  cannon,  in  saluting 
some  high  official  just  returning  or  departing 
from  his  house.  With  this  and  the  banging  of 
drums,  and  every  conceivable  form  of  racket,  sleep 
was  wellnigh  impossible.  The  streets  of  an  old 
New  England  town  on  the  night  preceding  the 
Fourth  of  July  are  the  nearest  approach  to  it, 
and  are  a manifestation  of  the  same  heedless 
barbarism. 

The  manufacturing  activities  seem  to  be  as 
lively  at  night  as  in  the  daytime.  I walked  out 
back  of  the  hotel  at  midnight,  going  through  sev- 
eral streets,  not  daring  to  go  far,  however,  lest  I 
should  be  lost.  The  streets  were  certainly  not  so 
crowded  as  in  the  daytime,  though  still  alive  with 
people.  Here  a ragged  pedler,  selling  some 
kind  of  fruit,  with  a cry  sounding  like  the  note 
of  a Wilson’s  thrush  and  the  peep  of  a tree-toad 
combined.  The  variety  of  street  calls  are  in  a 
high  falsetto  voice  and  remind  one  of  various 
animal  calls.  The  shop-doors  were  closed,  but 

139 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


through  the  crevices  glints  of  light  could  be  seen, 
and  the  coppersmiths  and  carpenters  and  other 
artisans  were  apparently  just  as  active  as  in  the 
daytime,  judging  from  the  various  sounds  that 
issued  from  these  places.  Every  one  familiar 
with  the  appearance  of  the  Chinese  laundries  in 
our  country  will  recall  the  fact  that,  no  matter 
how  late  one  may  pass  them  at  night,  the  Chinese 
are  usually  found  at  their  occupation.  It  is  said 
that  the  Chinese  farmer  utilizes  the  moonlight  for 
his  work,  and  one  can  readily  believe  it. 


140 


VIII 


A BUDDHIST  TEMPLE  AND 
THE  SACRED  HOGS 


5 


u( 

i 

. •'% 


VIII 


A BUDDHIST  TEMPLE  AND  THE 
SACRED  HOGS 

The  next  day  I visited  a Buddhist  temple. 

In  general  style  of  architecture,  with 
gateway,  huge,  carved  figures  as  guards 
on  each  side  of  the  entrance,  and  the  various 
appliances  within,  the  temple  followed  closely  the 
Japanese  type.  In  the  inner  court  were  twenty 
or  more  priests  chanting  at  their  devotions,  with 
a few  curiously  inclined  Chinese  looking  on. 
Such  dreary,  dirty- looking  priests,  shoes,  stock- 
ings and  all,  fairly  dingy  with  dirt,  presenting  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  same  class  in  Japan  ! 
The  enclosure  had  evidently  never  been  swept ; 
sticks,  dead  leaves,  and  noisome  pools  were  every- 
where. Back  of  the  temple  was  a famous  flower- 
garden  which  was  in  an  equally  dilapidated  state. 
There  were,  however,  some  interesting  evergreens 
in  large  flower-pots,  which  had  been  artificially 

143 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


trimmed  and  trained  to  represent  various  objects, 
such  as  a fan,  a kind  of  fruit,  figures,  etc.  The 


Dwarf  tree  in  Temple  Garden^  Canton 

figure  of  a man  was  quite  remarkable  in  its  way, 
though  the  feet,  hands,  and  head  were  made  of 

144 


A BUDDHIST  TEMPLE 


some  other  material.  These  curious  dwarf  trees 
were  in  the  midst  of  broken  pots,  piles  of  rubbish, 
and  festering  puddles  of  water.  During  my  ram- 


bles about  the  grounds,  I was  aware  of  a new 
stench  commingled  with  the  other  vile  odors 
which  filled  the  air,  and  wondered  what  could  be 
its  origin.  In  the  enclosure  back  of  the  temple 

145 


10 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


were  a number  of  great  fat,  lazy  hogs,  and  my 
guide  told  me  they  were  never  killed,  but  allowed 


to  live  and  die  under  the  care  of  the  priests  of 
the  temple.  They  were  wallowing  in  their  filth, 

146 


A BUDDHIST  TEMPLE 


swarming  with  flies,  and  spreading  over  the  neigh- 
borhood a most  horrible  stench.  It  struck  me  at 
the  time  that  here  was  an  emblematical  animal 
that  ought  to  be  emblazoned  on  the  Chinese  flag 
beside  the  imperial  dragon.  Justice  compels  me 
to  confess,  however,  that  the  hogs  were  much 
dirtier  than  their  patrons,  though  hardly  more 
useless.  How  many  centuries  this  practice  has 
been  kept  up  I did  not  learn,  but  in  Clevelands 
Voyages  the  author  records  that  in  1799  he 
visited  this  temple  and  found  several  of  the  priest- 
hood “ whose  dress  bore  some  resemblance  to 
that  of  Franciscan  friars,  and  whose  business 
was  principally  to  take  care  of  the  sacred  hogs. 
These  were  about  twenty  in  number,  and  were  in 
an  enclosure.  They  are  never  killed,  but  are  left 
to  die  in  the  regular  course  of  time  ; and  several 
of  them  were  so  unwieldy  that  it  was  not  without 
great  difficulty  they  could  move  themselves  a few 
feet  one  way  or  the  other.” 

With  this  briefest  glimpse  of  a few  temples  in 
two  great  cities  of  the  Empire  I was  inclined  to 
believe  that  Buddhism  in  China  was  moribund. 
I saw  no  evidence  of  devotion  in  the  people,  no 
earnest,  prayerful  attitude  as  one  sees  in  Japan. 

147 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


The  cult  apparently  excites  no  religious  enthu- 
siasm. What  must  be  expected  of  a people  who, 
losing  their  religion,  have  no  science  to  fall  back 
upon!  At  night  I noticed  a Chinese  come  out 
of  his  house,  yawning  and  evidently  bored,  and 
burn  a little  joss-paper  before  the  shrine  at  his 
doorway.  The  burning  of  paper,  incense,  and 
lighted  tapers  seems  to  be  done  in  the  most  per- 
functory manner.  It  reminded  one  of  the  way  in 
which  some  people  rattle  off  an  unintelligible 
blessing  at  home.  In  all  these  brief  glimpses 
I could  not  help  contrasting  the  vigorous  and 
healthy  condition  of  Buddhism  in  Japan ; the 
fresh-looking  temples,  though  hundreds  of  years 
old,  so  carefully  kept  and  repaired,  the  surround- 
ings so  cleanly  swept  and  in  perfect  condition, 
with  the  utter  destitution  and  decay  of  the  same 
monuments  in  China.  Here  was  wrack  and  ruin 
everywhere,  gnarled  roots,  by  their  growth,  prying 
off  delicate  sculpture  from  the  walls  or  over- 
turning coping-stones,  and  no  one  arresting  the 
destruction. 


148 


IX 


HOWQUA’S  MANSION 


IX 


HOWQUA’S  MANSION 

The  few  dwellings  I had  already  seen  in 
China  were  those  belonging  to  the  more 
favored  classes,  with  the  exception  of 
the  farmhouse  near  Shanghai.  For  purposes  of 
comparison  it  was  important  to  get  access  to  the 
house  of  some  person  of  great  wealth,  and  this 
opportunity  was  offered  me  in  Canton.  By  good 
fortune,  I got  a letter  to  the  family  of  Howqua, 
— a family  of  unbounded  wealth.  The  great 
Howqua  was  considered  one  of  the  richest  mer- 
chants in  Canton.  He  was  known  as  a person  of 
sterling  character  and  benevolence.  In  accounts 
of  the  Opium  War  his  name  often  occurs  as 
mediator.  The  old  Boston  and  Salem  mer- 
chants knew  him  as  a man  of  absolute  rectitude, 
whose  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond.  He  died 
some  years  ago,  leaving  a great  fortune  to  his  sons. 
The  house  was  well  known  to  my  guide,  who 
piloted  me  through  the  narrow  streets  to  the  place. 

151 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


Facing  the  street  was  a huge  blank  wall  in 
which  was  a single  gateway,  through  which  we 
passed  and  entered  a great  square  court-yard 
paved  with  stone  and  surrounded  on  three  sides 
by  walls  of  considerable  height,  one  of  which 
was  the  wall  through  which  we  had  passed ; the 
fourth  side,  which  ran  at  right  angles  to  the 
street,  appeared  to  be  the  front  of  some  fine 
public  building,  but  was  in  reality  a gateway 
which  led  to  another  court  and  building  con- 
taining the  ancestral  tablets  upon  which  were 
inscribed  the  names  of  Howqua’s  ancestors. 
On  the  anniversaries  of  the  deaths  of  these 
various  ancestors  the  head  of  the  family  passes 
through  this  imposing  gateway  in  the  ceremony 
accompanying  the  burning  of  incense  and  offer- 
ing prayer.  It  is  only  on  these  occasions  that 
the  gateway  is  used. 

The  accompanying  sketch  gives  only  a faint 
idea  of  its  appearance.  The  lower  portion  was 
composed  of  a fine-grained  granite  exhibiting  the 
most  delicate  and  beautiful  work  and  finish ; the 
upper  portion  was  of  brick  ; the  long,  slender 
columns  were  monoliths  of  the  same  kind  of 
granite;  the  cross-beams  just  below  the  eaves 

152 


HOWQUA’S  MANSION 

were  of  wood,  and  at  their  junction  with  the 
stone  were  elaborately  carved ; the  cornice  was 
richly  wrought  in  intricate  designs,  and  was  evi- 
dently of  terra-cotta;  the  circular  drum-shaped 
discs  of  the  entrance,  as  well  as  all  the  lower 


Ceremonial  gateway,  Howqua's  house.  Canton 


portion  of  the  structure,  were  fine  examples  of 
stonework.  The  whole  effect  was  quite  impos- 
ing, and  architecturally  very  beautiful.  The 
sketch  does  but  slight  justice  to  its  stately  ap- 
pearance, though  the  outlines  and  proportions 
are  in  the  main  correct. 

I had  made  an  appointment  to  meet  a grand- 
153 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

son  of  Howqua’s,  who,  with  his  brother,  then 
occupied  the  mansion,  and  so,  after  making  the 
gateway  sketch,  I was  guided  through  an  alley 
across  a dilapidated  garden,  then  through  an 
ordinary  gateway  to  the  mansion  itself.  After 
waiting  some  time,  one  of  the  brothers  finally 
made  his  appearance  and  invited  me  into  the 
house.  His  brother  soon  joined  us,  accom- 
panied by  numerous  servants  and  nurses,  the 
latter  bearing  in  their  arms  diminutive  speci- 
mens of  humanity,  the  offspring  by  wives  and 
concubines  of  these  men  who  had  come  into  the 
inheritance.  The  brothers  were  not  particularly 
gentle  in  their  bearing,  and  made  no  effort  to 
relieve  me  of  the  pressure  of  the  crowd  about 
me.  Every  sketch  that  I made  was  rudely 
snatched  from  my  hand  by  one  of  the  brothers, 
who  disappeared  for  a while  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  it  to  the  women,  who,  by  etiquette,  could 
not  be  seen.  The  contrast  in  the  behavior  of 
these  men  with  that  of  the  Japanese,  high  and 
low,  was  striking.  After  some  time  I was  invited 
to  sit  down,  and  a most  delicious  cup  of  tea  was 
brought  me.  The  various  rooms  through  which 
I was  conducted  were  marvels  in  the  way  of  elab- 

154 


HOWQUA’S  MANSION 

orate  wood-carving  and  intricate  tracery.  I found 
it  useless  to  attempt  any  sketch  of  them.  The 
brothers  asked  me  to  make  the  most  impossible 
sketches,  which,  had  I attempted,  would  have  in- 
volved days  of  the  most  assiduous  labor.  When 
I asked  to  see  the  kitchen,  they  were  amazed  and 
expressed  their  rather  disgusted  astonishment 
that  I should  prefer  to  sketch  this  region  of  the 
house  rather  than  their  more  elaborate  apart- 
ments. I was  finally  conducted  to  the  place,  and 
found  it  quite  as  dirty  and  disorderly  as  any  I 
had  seen.  Had  the  Chinese  any  realization  of 
what  we  call  dirt,  it  would  be  impossible  for 
them  to  permit  a place  wherein  food  for  the 
table  was  being  prepared  to  be  in  such  a lament- 
able condition.  Filth  tracked  in  from  the  streets, 
plus  the  dirty  accumulations  that  come  from 
their  domestic  work,  made  the  kitchen  a most 
unsavory  place.  I cannot  but  believe  that  in 
some  of  the  houses  of  the  richer  classes  the 
apartments  must  be  clean,  yet  how  can  we  unite 
such  an  idea  with  what  has  already  been  seen 
in  the  houses  thus  far  described  ? 

Howqua’s  kitchen  was  very  interesting.  I was 
told  that  it  was  a fine  example  of  the  old  Canton 

155 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


kitchen.  It  was  over  one  hundred  years  old  and 
quite  different  from  the  kitchens  I had  already 
seen,  though  the  differences  were  probably  such 
. as  one  might  see  at  home  between  the  ordinary 
cast-iron  stove  and  the  elaborate  range  in  the 


Kitchen,  Howqua's  house.  Canton 


kitchen  of  great  houses.  Later,  I saw  the  in- 
terior of  a country-house,  north  of  Canton,  said 
to  be  two  hundred  years  old,  and  the  kitchen  was 
on  the  same  general  plan  as  the  one  of  Howqua’s, 
so  I am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  Cantonese 
affair  differs,  in  many  respects,  from  the  northern 
kitchen,  though  in  both  cases,  as  before  re- 
marked, the  rice-boilers  are  very  similar.  In  the 

156 


HOWQUA’S  MANSION 

drawings  three  sides  of  the  kitchen  are  repre- 
sented. It  will  be  seen  that  the  long  range  with 
a number  of  openings  is  not  unlike  the  Japanese 
range,  or  kamedo.  The  fireplaces  are  square,  and 
open  from  top  to  bottom,  and  the  vessel  simply 
rests  on  the  opening  above. 


In  comparing  certain  Chinese  objects  with  the 
Japanese  it  should  be  understood  that  the  Japan- 
ese have,  in  every  case,  derived  these  objects  from 
China.  The  ornamental  dwarf  trees,  the  form  of 
range,  the  carpenters’  tools,  musical  instruments, 
etc.,  of  the  Japanese  have  all  been  derived  from 
China  in  precisely  the  same  manner  that  our 

157 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


ancestors,  the  English,  derived  similar  methods 
and  devices  from  contiguous  regions  on  the 
continent. 

The  kitchen  was  a large,  spacious  room,  and 
had  all  the  appliances  for  preparing  a great  ban- 
quet; copper  kettles,  large  boilers,  ladles,  etc., 


were  all  there,  and  so  was  the  dirt.  In  this  re- 
spect it  was  precisely  the  same  as  those  I had 
already  seen.  Now,  the  amazing  thing  about  it 
is  this,  that  if  a Chinese  cook  could  be  trans- 
ported to  a kitchen  of  some  great  house  in  this 
country,  and  see  the  immaculate  floor  of  tile  or 
wood,  the  polished  coppers,  the  incredible  neat- 

158 


HOWQUA’S  MANSION 

ness  and  sweetness  of  everything,  it  would  not 
excite  the  faintest  emotion  or  envy.  He  would 
probably  look  upon  it  all  as  a vast  waste  of  hu- 
man energy,  and  would  say,  if  he  were  capable  of 
reflecting  on  anything,  “ So  long  as  I keep  the 
dirt  out  of  the  food,  or  at  least  render  it  invisible, 
what’s  the  use  of  all  this  effort  at  dirt  remov- 


Lotus  pond,  Canton 


ing?”and  he  might  quote  our  saying  which  is 
such  a comfort  to  slovenly  people,  “ Every  man 
has  to  eat  his  peck  of  dirt.” 

In  the  rear  of  this  great  house  was  a large 
lotus  pond  walled  in  with  brick;  on  each  side 
were  substantial  summer-houses,  in  which  dwelt 
the  concubines.  A glimpse  of  the  large  recep- 
tion-rooms only  was  permitted.  Little  bridges, 

159 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


such  as  one  sees  depicted  on  old  china,  spanned 
certain  narrow  places.  Here  was  every  opportu- 
nity to  make  a charming  retreat,  yet  the  pond 
was  covered  with  slime  and  rubbish,  the  summer- 
houses were  neglected  and  dirty,  and,  knowing 
the  great  wealth  of  the  family,  one  was  compelled 
to  recognize  this  condition  of  matters  in  China 
as  a national  trait. 

During  my  brief  visit  to  this  place  it  was  plainly 
evident  that  I was  non  persona  grata,  and  the 
intrusion  would  never  have  been  made  had  any 
one  given  me  the  slightest  premonition  of  the 
possible  character  of  my  reception,  so  my  frank- 
ness of  comment  cannot  be  considered  a breach 
of  hospitality;  there  was  no  hospitality  to 
breach. 

I am  not  criticising  the  Chinese  for  this  atti- 
tude, for  it  is  about  the  only  evidence  of  man- 
hood, from  the  standpoint  of  a Christian  nation, 
that  they  possess.  It  is  too  much  to  expect  of  a 
man  that  he  should  treat  with  more  than  cold 
reserv^e  an  individual  who  belongs  to  an  alien 
race  that  has  systematically  robbed  his  people, 
filled  his  land  with  emissaries  who  have  done 
their  best  to  break  down  every  sacred  belief  and 

i6o 


HOWQUA’S  MANSION 


cherished  superstition,  and  that  has  defrauded 
his  nation  of  vast  tracts  of  territory  and  of  enor- 
mous money  indemnities. 

i6i 


I 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


I left  the  place  by  a narrow  alley  bordered  by 
high  walls  of  brick.  The  top  of  the  walls  had 
great  rounded  curves  like  the  gable-ends  of  the 
Shanghai  houses ; these  were  imbricated  with 
roofing  tiles,  and  just  below  the  edge  was  a line 
of  glazed  panels  having  designs  in  high  relief. 
The  water-conductors,  in  the  form  of  huge  bam- 
boo, were  made  of  cement,  the  joints  and  buds 
being  well  represented,  the  upper  portion  bulg- 
ing out  with  flowers  modelled  in  stucco,  and 
having  no  relation  botanically  with  the  bamboo. 
It  is  such  incongruities  in  present  Chinese  art 
that  jar  upon  the  eye.  It  is  possible,  however, 
that  some  sentiment  was  to  be  conveyed  by  these 
flowers.  The  whole  structure  was  an  interesting 
illustration  of  the  survival  of  form  when  the 
material  of  the  device  or  the  method  of  construc- 
tion has  been  changed.  This  example  was,  of 
course,  an  obvious  case,  as  bamboos  are  still  used 
everywhere  in  the  East  as  water-conductors. 


162 


TOBACCO  PIPES,  EXAMINATION 
HALL,  WATER  CLOCK,  ETC. 


X 


TOBACCO  PIPES,  EXAMINATION  HALL, 
WATER  CLOCK,  ETC. 

The  Chinese  are 

inveterate  smokers  N 
of  tobacco  as  well 
as  snuff-takers.  The  to- 
bacco is  milder  than  ours, 
and  is  cut  in  the  finest  threads. 

Among  the  wealthier  classes  a 
form  of  pipe  is  used  which  be- 
longs to  the  class  known  as  water 
pipes.  These  pipes  are  remark- 
able examples  of  work  in  metal 
and  other  materials.  They  are 
often  very  elaborate  and  highly 
ornamented.  The  water  is  con- 
tained in  the  large  body,  which 
has  a flat  bottom,  and  which  rests  firmly  on  the 
table,  where  it  is  always  seen  with  the  ink-stone, 
writing  brush,  paper  weight,  and  other  articles. 

i6s 


Tobacco  pipe  with 
water  receptacle 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


The  pipe-bowl  is  in  the  form  of  a smaller  tube, 
the  lower  end  of  which  is  immersed  in  the  water ; 
the  smoke  has  first  to  pass  through  the  water 
before  ascending  the  long  tube  through  which 
the  smoker  draws.  There  is  also  a receptacle 
for  tobacco  closed  by  a lid.  The  little  rod  ter- 


Figs.  I,  2,  3,  metallic  pipes.  Fig.  4,  metallic  mouth-piece.  Fig.  % jade 
mouth-piece 


minating  in  a tassel  is  simply  a convenience  for 
loosening  the  tobacco,  or  cleaning  out  any  ob- 
struction in  the  tube.  The  Salem  Museum  has  a 
number  of  these  pipes,  and  the  sketch  on  the 
preceding  page  is  a figure  of  one  of  them. 

A common  form  of  pipe  among  the  poorer 
classes  consists  of  a metal  bowl  with  short  stem 
combined.  Into  this  a wooden  stem  is  fitted,  and 

166 


TOBACCO  PIPES,  ETC. 


on  the  other  end  a mouth-piece  is  secured.  The 
mouth-piece  is  usually  of  metal,  though  bone, 
horn,  or  jade  may  be  used.  The  wooden  stem 
may  be  six  inches  or  three  feet  in  length  ; when 
the  stem  is  short  it  is  often  wound  with  tinsel  or 
brass  wire.  The  pipe-bowl  may  be  a rough  cast- 
ing of  brass  or  very  thin  white  metal,  the  method 
of  making  being  somewhat  puzzling. 

In  Foo-Chow,  according  to  Miss  Gordon  Cum- 
mings, the  poorer  classes  use  pipes  in  the  form 
of  large  globular  bowls  of  porcelain,  which  are 
gaudily  decorated.  The  thick  wooden  stem  is 
three  feet  long,  and  is  used  as  a cane  as  well. 
These  people  cultivate  a coarse  tobacco  for  their 
own  use.  The  accompanying  figures  illustrate 
some  of  the  pipe-bowls  and  mouth-pieces. 

The  Koreans  have  a similar  form  of  pipe  with 
long  reed  stems,  and  these  are  variously  orna- 
mented with  curious  designs  stained  on  the  sur- 
face. A fine  collection  of  these  Korean  pipe- 
stems  may  be  seen  in  the  Museum  in  Salem. 

The  doorways  seen  on  the  street  were  in  many 
cases  very  high,  evidently  to  give  ample  room  for 
the  palanquins  to  enter.  The  doors  are  elabo- 

167 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


rately  panelled,  and  were  double,  and  each  door 
had  two  folds,  and  these  were  hinged  together. 
The  door  itself,  instead  of  being  hinged  to  the 
frame,  was  provided  with  a pivot  above  and  be- 
low and  close  to  the  frame;  these  were  held  in 
appropriate  sockets,  the  upper  one  being  in  the 
form  of  a carved  embossment  on  the  frame,  the 
lower  socket  being  made  in  the  sill.  This  device 
is  very  ancient,  and  may'be  found  in  the  earliest 
Egyptian,  Greek,  and  Roman  structures. 

In  my  interesting  wanderings  about  Canton, 
my  guide  led  me  to  the  famous  water  clock.  It 
was  a high  building  which  looked  as  old  as  the 
clock,  which  was  said  to  have  been  running  for 
four  hundred  years.  The  water  clock  consisted 
of  four  deep  copper  vessels  arranged  on  steps 
one  above  the  other.  A flight  of  short  steps 
was  at  the  side  of  this  contrivance  to  enable 
the  attendant  to  fill  the  upper  bucket  with 
water,  and  this  has  to  be  done  twice  in  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  water  slowly  drips  through  a 
faucet  in  the  upper  bucket  to  the  next  in  turn, 
and  so  on  down  to  the  lowest  one.  In  this  is  a 
float,  to  which  is  attached  an  upright  strip  of 
wood  having  painted  upon  it  the  characters  for 

1 68 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

one,  two,  three,  and  so  on.  This  strip  passes 
through  a bail  which  spans  the  bucket,  and  as 
the  float  rises  the  numbers  pass  in  succession 
t’^.rough  the  bail,  and  thus  the  hours  of  the  day 
are  rudely  indicated.  The  keeper  has  a set  of 
large  boards  upon  which  numbers  are  painted  in 
black,  and  as  each  hour  is  indicated  by  the  float 
the  keeper  hangs  out  a board  with  the  corres- 
ponding number,  and  this  may  be  seen  only  by 
those  who  are  in  a line  with  it  down  a rather 
wide  avenue.  Here  the  number  remains  in  sight 
till  the  next  hour  is  indicated  by  the  float;  in  the 
mean  time,  unless  one  has  closely  followed  up 
these  sign-boards,  there  is  no  way  of  determining 
whether  the  time  is  one  minute  past  nine,  for 
example,  or  one  minute  to  ten.  To  know  the 
time  within  an  hour  seems  to  be  quite  enough 
for  these  peculiar  people.  I did  not  learn  that  a 
gong  was  beaten  or  a trumpet  blown  or  a bell 
struck  to  announce  the  hours.  Nothing,  it 
seemed  to  me,  could  better  illustrate  the  stolid 
and  disastrous  conservatism,  the  mental  apathy, 
or,  better,  the  atrophy  of  all  adaptive  and  inven- 
tive faculty,  in  the  nation,  than  this  crude  and 
primitive  device.  Thousands  of  Chinese  have 

170 


TOBACCO  PIPES,  ETC. 


been  abroad,  and  while  abroad  have  all  had 
watches  and  clocks ; in  the  poorest  laundry  place 
in  America  a clock  may  be  found ; in  the  Chinese 
theatre,  in  San  Francisco,  a 
large  Connecticut  clock  is 
hung  against  the  wall  over 
the  stage  in  full  view  of  the 
audience,  and  yet,  here  in 
Canton,  a wealthy  city  of  a 
million  of  inhabitants,  the 
hours  of  the  day  have  been 
rudely  indicated  by  this  ri- 
diculous device,  with  only 
a small  number  of  this 
vast  population  getting 
the  benefit  of  it. 

I was  naturally  curious 
to  see  the  prison  in  Can- 
ton, having  seen  the  one 
in  Shanghai.  That  was 
so  vile  that,  in  the  more  refined  city  of  Can- 
ton, I was  led  to  believe  that  there  might  be 
some  advance  in  prison  management.  If  any- 
thing, it  was  even  worse  than  the  northern 
horror.  The  prisoners  looked  starved,  and  were 

171 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


in  the  most  ragged  and  most  haggard  condition. 
Many  of  them  were  loafing  in  the  prison-yard; 
others  were  in  low  coops,  hardly  high  enough  to 
accommodate  a dog;  some  had  their  heads  thrust 
through  square,  plank-like  affairs,  unable  to  reach 
their  faces,  over  which  flies  crawled  at  will.  They 
could  not,  of  course,  feed  themselves,  but  had  to 
depend  upon  relatives  or  humane  friends  to  per- 
form this  service.  Nearby  was  a simple  enclos- 
ure surrounded  by  high  walls,  known  as  the 
execution-grounds.  At  the  time  of  my  visit,  the 
ground  was  covered  with  pottery  in  the  form  of 
little  kitchen  braziers ; apparently  some  one  had 
hired  the  place  for  the  temporary  storage  of  his 
pottery  stock.  Near  the  walls  were  larger  jars, 
in  which  the  heads  of  the  executed  were  placed. 
Judging  from  the  description  of  the  Spanish 
prisons  in  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  the  Philippines, 
Spain  is  the  only  European  country  which  must 
be  placed  on  a level  with  China  in  this  respect. 

Another  of  the  many  interesting  features  in 
Canton  was  the  examination-hall,  as  it  is  called, 
though  there  was  no  trace  of  a hall  on  the 
grounds  according  to  our  meaning  of  the  word. 
This  famous  place  consisted  of  rows  of  long, 


TOBACCO  PIPES,  ETC. 


narrow  sheds  running  at  right  angles  to  a broad 
area  which  might  be  called  a yard  or  avenue. 
These  low  sheds  were  divided  by  partitions  open 
in  front ; if  they  had  been  furnished  with  doors 
they  would  have  resembled  the  bathing-houses 
along  our  seaside  resorts.  These  structures 
were  built  of  brick,  with  brick  partitions,  and  the 
individual  cells  were  not  over  four  feet  wide. 


Examination  hall,  Catiton 


The  number  of  them  has  been  variously  stated 
to  be  seven  thousand  five  hundred  and  ten  thou- 
sand. The  candidates  who  compete  for  examina- 
tion come  from  all  parts  of  the  Empire.  These 
include  young  men  and  old  men,  some  of  whom 
have  reached  the  age  of  eighty  or  ninety  years, 
who  have  been  competing  since  they  were  boys, 
and  appear  again  and  again  to  win  the  coveted 
prize  of  recognition  and,  if  successful,  to  get  some 
office  under  Government  with  a modest  stipend, 

173 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

the  balance  of  their  salary  being  squeezed  out  of 
the  inhabitants  by  fraud  and  persecution.  Early 
in  the  morning  a single  text  from  Confucius  or 
some  other  ancient  classical  writer  is  issued  to 
all,  each  one  receiving  the  same  text.  On  this, 
they  are  all  to  write  an  essay  and  deliver  it  the 
next  morning.  An  ignoramus  on  everything  but 
Chinese  classics  may  beat  other  numskulls  in 
writing  the  best  composition  on  the  text  given, 
and  attain  some  office  dealing  with  matters  per- 
taining to  the  nineteenth  century.  As  an  illus- 
tration, a competitor  has  secured  a position  in 
the  army  by  passing  a literary  examination  on 
the  art  of  war,  not  as  understood  to-day,  but 
with  the  art  as  set  forth  by  authorities  three 
thousand  years  ago.  One  of  these  authorities, 
held  in  highest  repute,  Sun-Tse  by  name,  sol- 
emnly recommends  such  a manoeuvre  as  this: 
“ Spread  in  the  camp  of  the  enemy  voluptuous 
musical  airs,  so  as  to  soften  his  heart.”  No  won- 
der, in  the  recent  war  with  Japan,  Chinese  gen- 
erals were  found  with  singing-birds  in  cages,  and 
a retinue  of  concubines,  while  every  soldier  car- 
ried a fan,  and  every  third  one  a banner.  How 
inferior  to  the  Japanese  in  these  matters!  Un- 

174 


TOBACCO  PIPES,  ETC. 

daunted  by  the  slurs  of  English  writers,  who 
have  repeatedly  stigmatized  the  Japanese  as  a 
nation  of  copyists,  they  sent  their  students  to 
military  academies  abroad  ; their  men  graduated 
at  our  Naval  Academy ; then  they  established  a 
naval  college  of  their  own,  and  to-day  their  army 
and  navy,  in  effectiveness  and  morale,  are  fully 
abreast  of  the  armies  and  navies  of  Europe,  and, 
according  to  an  English  military  critic,  superior 
to  many  of  them. 

The  matter  of  literary  examination  for  public 
office  has  been  repeatedly  dwelt  upon,  yet  no  one 
can  realize  the  overpowering  absurdity  of  it  until 
he  comes  to  examine  the  conditions  minutely. 
China  is  supposed  to  have  an  army  and  navy, 
arsenals  and  departments  of  telegraph,  customs, 
etc.  Now,  let  one  open  a page  of  Confucius,  the 
“ Doctrine  of  the  Mean,”  or  the  “ Analects,”  for 
example,  or  any  ancient  classic,  and  find  if  he  can 
a single  line  which  would  enable  him  to  perform 
any  of  the  duties  involved  in  the  above  depart- 
ments. Everywhere  he  would  find  admonitions 
to  be  just,  good,  and  honest.  References  to  an 
honest  judge  and  upright  ruler,  .etc.,  frequently 
occur  in  these  venerable  pages,  but  of  telegraphy, 

175 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


railroads,  medical  and  surgical  practice,  or  any- 
thing else  pertaining  to  nineteenth-century  civili- 
zation, not  a word.  These  moral  admonitions 
of  Confucius  are  evidently  taken  in  the  usual 
Chinese  reverse  sense ; for,  outside  of  the  munic- 
ipal affairs  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  no 
greater  corruption  or  dishonesty  exists  than  can 
be  found  in  China.  Despite  the  fact  that  their 
armies  have  been  repeatedly  beaten  by  small 
bodies  of  European  soldiers,  and,  within  recent 
years,  suffered  an  ignominious  and  crushing  de- 
feat at  the  hands  of  Japan,  in  each  case  pay- 
ing enormous  indemnities,  the  Chinese  still  go 
through  these  antiquated  examinations  in  order 
to  secure  positions  in  these  modern  departments. 
It  is  said  the  appointments  in  the  British  Army 
are  nearly  as  absurd  as  the  Chinese  practice, 
though  based  on  a different  method. 


176 


A SOLDIERS’  DRILL-ROOM 


XI 


A SOLDIERS’  DRILL-ROOM 

VERY  near  my  hotel  was  a school  for 
archery  and  other  military  exercises. 
My  Portuguese  landlord  offered  to 
guide  me  to  the  place.  There  were  a number  of 
Manchu  soldiers  practising  at  the  time,  and  they 
looked  up  frowningly  as  we  came  in.  In  this 
place  were  not  only  implements  for  archery  prac- 
tice, but  evidently  for  bow  and  spear  exercises  on 
horseback,  as  there  was  a saddle  mounted  on  a 
big  wooden  support,  and  numerous  appliances 
were  at  hand  for  these  .exercises.  Heavy  blocks 
of  stone  were  on  the  floor,  upon  which  the  sol- 
diers developed  their  lifting  muscles.  Huge  iron 
implements  with  short  cutting  swords  at  the  end 
rested  against  a heavy  framework  of  wood;  these 
had  an  iron  shaft  seven  feet  long  and  at  least  two 
inches  in  diameter,  with  the  additional  weight  of 
what  appeared  to  be  a small  grindstone  at  one 
end  and  massive  ribs  of  iron  at  the  other.  They 

179 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


were  so  heavy  that  I could  not  lift  one  from  the 
floor,  yet  I was  told  the  Manchu  would  twirl  one 
of  these  ponderous  affairs  over  his  head  and 
thrust  and  parry  and  fence  and  go  through  a 
variety  of  evolutions  with  great  celerity.  There 
were  bows  of  immense  size  and  stiffness,  and  I 


got  permission  to  try  one.  In  my  archery  days 
I used  to  shoot  with  what  is  technically  known 
as  a forty-eight-pound  bow,  that  is,  a bow  which 
requires  a weight  of  forty-eight  pounds  to  draw 
the  bow  down  the  length  of  a twenty-eight-inch 
arrow.  With  all  my  strength,  and  hands  clutched 
to  the  bow  and  cord,  I could  not  pull  it  more 

i8o 


A SOLDIERS^  DRILL-ROOM 


than  an  inch.  It  was  like  stringing  a telegraph- 
pole.  A Manchu  then  took  it,  and  not  only  drew 


it  up  to  his  ear,  but  back  of  his  head,  and  held  it 
quivering  in  this  position  for  several  seconds. 
The  bow  was  so  heavy  that  an  assistant  immedi- 

i8i 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


ately  placed  props  under  the  archer’s  arms  to  sup- 
port the  weight  while  he  drew  it  in  this  way.  It 


Drawing  heavy  bow.  Canton 


would  almost  seem  that  an  arrow  shot  from  such 
a bow  by  such  a giant  in  strength  would  have 
pierced  a dozen  elephants  in  line. 

182 


A SOLDIERS’  DRILL-ROOM 


The  men  who  were  drilling  were  Manchu  Tar- 
tars on  their  way  to  fight  the  French  in  Tonkin, 
and  as  I made  rapid  sketches  of  them  they 
seemed  ugly  and  suspicious.  Suddenly,  and 
without  a word,  my  Portuguese  guide  grabbed 
me  by  the  arm  and  hurried  me  out  of  the  room 
in  a very  unceremonious  fashion,  nor  did  he 
explain  this  urgency  until  we  had  got  some  way 
from  the  building,  when  he  told  me  that  what 
they  had  said  made  it  very  dangerous  to  remain 
there.  Certainly  by  no  act  had  they  displayed 
any  hostile  intention,  though  they  were  chatter- 
ing continually,  and  were  not  very  gracious  in 
their  actions.  I had  evidently  been  taken  for  a 
spy,  or  an  emissary  of  the  French,  as  it  was  be- 
yond the  comprehension  of  a Chinese  mind  that 
any  one  should  have  the  slightest  interest  as  to 
the  stiffness  of  a bow,  or  precisely  how  an  archer 
held  his  hands  in  the  act  of  drawing  the  string. 


183 


XII 


A POTTERS’  TOWN 


XII 


. A POTTERS’  TOWN 

WHILE  in  Japan  I had  been  greatly 
interested  in  the  potters’  art,  and  made 
a study  of  their  furnaces  and  the  va- 
rious devices  used  in  their  work.  I looked  for- 
ward with  interest  to  the  chances  of  comparing 
Chinese  methods  with  those  of  the  Japanese. 
Shanghai  did  not  offer  the  opportunity,  though 
the  jars  and  flower-pots  seen  there  in  such  profu- 
sion must  have  been  made  in  the  immediate 
vicinity.  I was  told  that  to  see  the  art  in  its 
fullest  development  one  would  have  to  go  inland 
four  hundred  miles.  At  Canton  my  guide  in- 
formed me  that  he  knew  of  no  potters’  works 
near  by,  though  bricks,  tiles,  and  earthen  braziers 
were  made  in  Canton  and  its  neighborhood. 
There  was  a place  up  the  river,  about  thirty 
miles,  famous  as  a pottery  centre,  but  to  go  there 
safely,  my  landlord  said,  would  require  a pass- 
port, and  this  was  only  to  be  procured  at  Pekin. 
Of  course  there  was  no  time  to  secure  one,  so  to 

187 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

the  American  consul  I went,  hoping  that  he 
might  get  a letter  from  some  high  official  in 
Canton,  or  from  the  Governor  of  the  Province, 
in  which  might  be  set  forth  the  innocent  object 
of  my  visit.  But  this  could  not  be  obtained ; the 
consul,  however,  informed  me  that  only  a few 
weeks  before  two  Americans  had  gone  up  the 
river  in  a covered  boat,  and,  on  landing  at  the 
place,  had  been  mobbed,  stoned,  and  driven  to 
their  boat,  the  sides  of  which  had  been  smashed 
in ; and  even  the  Chinese  magistrate,  who  had  en- 
deavored to  protect  them,  came  in  for  a share  of 
the  mobbing ; and  yet  these  men  were  not  only 
provided  with  a passport  from  the  Government, 
but  with  a letter  from  the  American  Minister. 
It  is  true  these  men  were  missionaries,  and  so  I 
accounted  for  the  rough  treatment  they  had  re- 
ceived. Not  wishing  to  go  alone,  I tried  to 
induce  the  consul  to  accompany  me,  but  official 
duties  prevented;  it  was  impossible  to  give  up 
the  trip,  and  with  a feeling  that  if  one  behaved 
himself  with  becoming  humility  one  might  travel 
anywhere,  I got  my  landlord  to  engage  a boat 
with  a crew  of  six  men  for  the  journey.  A little 
Chinese  boy  who  had  waited  upon  me  at  the 

1 88 


A POTTERS^  TOWN 


table,  and  who  knew  a few  words  of  English,  was 
allowed  to  go  with  me  as  guide,  as  he  said  he 
knew  all  about  the  place.  For  the  first  and  last 
time  in  the  East  I put  a revolver  in  my  pocket. 
The  crew  were  a sturdy  set  of  fellows,  the  boat 
was  quite  broad  and  flat-bottomed,  and  the  men 
stood  at  their  work  facing  the  bow  and  pushing 
rather  than  pulling.  The  oars  were  very  long 
and  spliced,  as  one  sees  them  in  Japan.  I sat  in 
the  bow  with  just  room  enough  to  avoid  being 
struck  in  the  face  by  the  forward  man  ; indeed,  I 
had  to  be  very  careful  in  moving  about,  as  the 
handle  of  the  oar  came  within  six  inches  of  my 
head.  We  were  five  hours  and  a half  going  up 
the  river,  and  this  against  a hardly  perceptible 
current.  During  the  entire  time  of  the  journey 
the  men  never  stopped  for  a single  moment  in 
their  work,  but  kept  it  up  with  the  greatest 
energy,  at  the  rate  of  thirty-two  strokes  a minute. 
It  was  a somewhat  dubious  adventure,  going  into 
the  country  even  this  short  distance,  at  a time 
when  the  region  was  in  a ferment  over  the 
French  aggressions  in  the  south. 

In  going  up  the  river  we  passed  one  little  set- 
tlement, and  then  a village.  The  banks  were  low, 

189 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


and  here  and  there  a solitary  tree  was  seen ; but 
the  land  on  both  sides  was  probably  under  culti- 
vation, and  the  people  were  too  busy  at  work  to 
saunter  on  the  banks,  and  so  a native  was  rarely 
seen.  It  was  quite  different  on  the  river,  for  a 
large  boat-traffic  was  in  evidence,  both  in  the 
vessels  we  overtook  and  passed,  and  the  vessels 


we  met.  Everywhere  along  the  banks  the  earth 
seemed  to  be  charged  with  old  bricks,  fragments 
of  roofing  tiles,  broken  pottery,  and  white  por- 
celain, and  this  was  certainly  an  indication  that 
the  river  was  bordered  by  dikes.  There  were  no 
traces  of  river  jetties,  such  as  one  so  often  sees  in 
the  rivers  of  Japan.  It  was  curious  to  observe 
beyond  the  banks  on  either  side  of  the  river 
large  sails  slowly  gliding  along  apparently  as  if 

190 


A POTTERS*  TOWN 


the  boats  were  sailing  on  the  land.  Our  boat 
was  so  low,  and  the  dikes  were  so  high,  it  was  im- 
possible to  see  the  land  beyond,  yet  these  large 
sails  indicated,  what  every  one  is  familiar  with, 
the  remarkable  extent  of  the  canal  system  in 
China.  I was  informed  that  a boat  could  go  by 
canal  from  Canton  to  Pekin,  a distance  of  twelve 
hundred  miles,  with  only  one  obstruction  in  the 
course,  — a mountain-chain. 

My  experience  on  the  river  was  anything  but 
encouraging,  for  in  every  boat  that  passed  us,  and 
there  were  many,  the  occupants  showed  their  hos- 
tile attitude  by  shouting  “ Fanquai  ” (foreign  devil) 
and  other  vile  epithets,  and,  what  was  more  in- 
teresting, the  men  often  making  up  the  most 
hideous  faces  at  me.  To  see  a toothless,  dirty, 
old,  wrinkled  Chinese  thrust  out  his  tongue,  con- 
tort his  features,  and  gesticulate  in  a threatening 
way  was  a new  experience  and  a very  unpleasant 
one.  We  finally  arrived  at  the  town  at  which 
the  pottery  was  made.  It  stretched  a long  way 
on  the  river,  and  before  we  reached  its  southern 
border  the  banks  were  marked  by  huge  dumps 
of  broken  pottery  and  porcelain,  in  some  cases 
these  accumulations  forming  conspicuous  prom- 

191 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


ontories  jutting  out  from  the  shore.  The  banks 
also  seemed  filled  with  pottery,  and  here  and 
there  were  tall  cylindrical  piles  of  wood,  in- 
terspersed with  piles  of  pottery  such  as  have 
been  already  described  at  the  city  gateways  in 
Shanghai.  Here,  indeed,  was  a pottery  town, 
but  imagine  my  apprehension  as  to  the  treat- 
ment that  might  be  accorded  me  after  running 
a gauntlet  of  insults  and  hostile  gestures  for 
some  twenty-four  miles.  If  the  boat’s  crew  had 
only  returned  the  epithets,  it  would  have  been 
some  assurance  that  I had  at  least  six  men  as 
allies,  but  their  cold  and  forbidding  attitude 
showed  very  clearly  that  they  indorsed  the  senti- 
ments of  the  river  population. 


192 


XIII 


A CHINESE  MOB 


XIII 


A CHINESE  MOB 

The  place  where  we  landed  was  covered 
with  stacks  of  jars  and  pots  of  various 
kinds,  and  I hoped  that  a pottery  was 
in  the  immediate  vicinity,  but,  on  inquiry,  my 
guide  found  that  the  pottery  was  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  town,  a place  we  might  easily  have 
reached  in  the  boat.  I then  discovered  that  the 
guide  had  never  been  to  the  town,  and  really  knew 
nothing  about  it.  However,  there  was  no  back- 
ing out  now.  The  boat’s  crew  had  pulled  out 
into  the  river,  and  the  guide  started  ahead,  and 
I after  him.  I certainly  did  not  relish  going 
through  the  narrow  streets  with  a hooting  mob 
as  an  escort,  — a mob,  that  had  begun  to  collect 
the  moment  I landed.  A troop  of  the  dirtiest 
and  raggedest  hoodlums  one  could  imagine 
started  after  us,  and  ran  ahead  yelling  “ Fanquai  ” 
at  the  top  of  their  lungs.  Men  joined  this  mob, 
some  of  them  insolently  thrusting  their  heads 

195 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

under  the  broad  brim  of  my  sun-hat  and  grind- 
ing their  teeth  at  me ; indeed,  I believe  that  the 
looks  of  withering  scorn  and  hatred  can  be  better 
portrayed  by  a Chinese  face  than  by  that  of  any 
other  race  in  the  world.  It  was  useless  to  make 
any  friendly  advances,  and  so  I did  not  attempt  it, 
but  looked  as  firm  and  defiant  as  possible  under 
the  circumstances,  and  kept  one  hand  in  my 
pocket  holding  on  to  a cocked  revolver.  I had 
already  got  one  scare  when  I was  so  unceremo- 
niously hustled  out  of  a Manchu  drill-room  the 
night  before,  and,  somewhat  depressed  by  the 
treatment  I had  received  on  the  river  since  early 
morning,  this  stern  appearance  I was  assuming 
did  not  at  all  comport  with  my  feelings.  My 
little  guide  was  in  a complete  funk,  and  I feared 
he  would  sneak  off  into  the  crowd  and  leave  me 
alone.  The  boat’s  crew  had  pulled  off  into  the 
middle  of  the  river,  for  even  they,  though  Chinese, 
came  in  for  rough  treatment,  probably  for  being 
in  the  employ  of  a foreigner.  I went  into  a shop 
to  buy  a piece  of  pottery,  and  the  man  looked 
deeply  insulted  by  the  intrusion.  The  extrav- 
agant sum  I offered  for  a modelled  bird,  fresh 
from  the  oven,  could  not  be  resisted,  and  I 

196 


A CHINESE  MOB 


brought  back  with  me  a single  trophy  of  my  ad- 
ventures. We  had  gone  over  a mile  and  passed 
large  shops  of  pottery,  but  no  sign  of  its  manu- 
facture. The  guide  frequently  and  timidly  in- 
quired, and  was  told  to  go  on.  Mr.  Drew,  at 
Shanghai,  had  informed  me  that  the  potters  were 
a rough  class  compared  to  others,  and  my  land- 
lord had  told  me  that  I was  to  visit  a region  from 
which  most  of  the  Chinese  came  who  landed  at 
San  Francisco,  and  to  which  region  they  returned 
with  stories  of  the  heartless  cruelties  and  indig- 
nities they  had  received  in  a Christian  country, 
the  persecutions  coming  from  a class  whose  re- 
ligion is  most  widely  presented  by  missionaries 
in  China,  the  Catholics.  I could  not  wonder, 
then,  at  my  reception.  The  streets  were  very 
narrow  and  literally  stinking ; the  crowd  in- 
creased in  number  and  turbulence ; boys  ran 
far  ahead  to  tell  their  people  that  a foreign  devil 
was  coming  up  the  street.  It  reminded  me  of 
the  way  boys  run  ahead  of  a circus,  and  a circus 
it  was,  and  I would  gladly  have  been  out  of  it. 

Finally,  and  to  my  great  relief,  we  turned  up 
a narrow  alley,  followed  by  the  howling  mob  of 
roughs.  The  alley  led  directly  into  a pottery. 

197 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


The  potters  left  their  work  as  they  heard  the 
racket,  and  so  when  I entered  the  place  work 
had  ceased,  and  a number  of  rough  and  savage- 
looking potters  surrounded  me  with  angry  and 
inquiring  looks.  I made  my  way  through  the 
crowd,  found  a potter’s  wheel,  and  made  gestures 


to  a man,  evidently  the  boss,  that  I wanted  to  see 
how  they  turned  a pot,  and  the  sight  of  a fee  that 
was  probably  equal  to  a month’s  wages  induced 
him,  without  an  expression  of  thanks,  to  shout  to 
a fellow  to  go  to  work.  I was  at  last  to  see  the 
working  of  a Chinese  potter’s  wheel.  I crowded 
back  the  mob,  stepped  on  a naked  toe  now  and 
then,  and  fairly  bluffed  myself  into  a place  where 

198 


A CHINESE  MOB 

I was  enabled  to  make  a hasty  sketch  of  a potter 
at  work.  The  wheel  rests  on  the  ground,  and  the 
potter  squats  beside  the  wheel.  A helper  stands 
near  by,  steadying  himself  with  a rope  that  hangs 
down  from  a frame  above ; holding  on  to  this 
and  resting  on  one  foot,  he  kicks  the  wheel 
around  with  the  other  foot.  The  potter  first 
puts  sand  on  the  wheel,  so  that  the  clay  adheres 
slightly.  He  does  not  separate  the  pot  from  the 
wheel  by  means  of  a string,  as  is  usual  with  most 
potters  the  world  over,  but  lifts  it  from  the  wheel, 
the  separation  being  easy  on  account  of  the  sand 
previously  applied.  The  pot  is  somewhat  de- 
formed by  this  act,  but  is  straightened  afterwards 
with  a spatula  and  the  hand,  as  was  the  practice 
of  a Hindoo  potter  whom  I saw  at  Singapore. 
The  ovens  were  like  those  of  the  Japanese;  they 
were  built  in  a much  more  substantial  manner, 
however.  The  roof  above  them  was  well  made  and 
supported  by  brick  columns.  In  this  pottery 
there  was  not  a sign  of  a green  leaf  or  flower; 
it  was  as  barren  as  a brickyard.  What  vivid 
memories  came  back  of  the  Japanese  potter  with 
his  charming  surroundings,  the  offering  of  tea 
and  cake,  the  children  in  the  neighborhood  bow- 

199 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 

ing  as  one  passed,  the  potter  himself,  a cour- 
teous soul  with  a love  and  knowledge  of  his 
craft  and  the  work  of  the  generations  preced- 
ing him.  In  contrast,  this  Chinese  pottery  in 
a desolate  yard,  the  ground  strewn  with  pottery 
fragments,  a number  of  workmen  shouting  to 
each  other  or  at  me,  a horde  of  ragged  men 
and  boys  howling  vile  names,  and  I thought 
of  my  long  walk  back  through  the  city,  followed 
by  this  venomous  mob  of  thoughtless  brutes.  I 
no  longer  wondered  that  magistrates  could  or- 
der these  people  to  be  beheaded  by  hundreds 
without  a quiver  of  feeling,  and,  at  the  moment, 
I should  have  enjoyed  the  ordering  of  such  a 
performance,  and  might  have  witnessed  it  with 
equanimity.  By  their  disputes  and  gestures  it 
was  evident  that  they  could  not  understand  the 
reason  of  my  visit.  That  a barbarian  and  for- 
eign devil  should  hire  a boat’s  crew  of  six  men 
and  a guide,  and  come  all  the  way  from  Canton 
just  to  see  a pot  turned,  was  simply  preposterous, 
and  I must  be  a spy.  A shout  of  contempt 
went  up  when  I turned  my  back  on  the  pottery 
and  started  down  the  narrow  lane.  The  crowd 
kept  up  such  a yelling  that  my  approach  was 

200 


A CHINESE  MOB 

signalized  far  ahead,  so  that  I passed  through  a 
serried  array  of  frowning  and  angry  faces.  It 
was  a relief  to  find  that  my  boat’s  crew  had  not 
deserted  me,  but,  hearing  the  uproar,  had  pulled 
in  to  the  landing  and  was  ready  to  row  out  the 
moment  I got  aboard.  As  we  pulled  into  the 
stream,  a salute  of  contemptuous  shouts  and  a 
few  stones  followed  us.  Why  they  had  not  as- 
sailed me  and  smashed  the  boat,  I could  not  un- 
derstand, unless  they  had  noticed  that  one  hand 
had  been  in  my  pocket  all  the  time,  through 
which  the  outline  of  a rather  heavy  revolver 
might  have  been  detected.  We  pulled  across 
and  down  the  river  some  distance,  and  running 
the  bow  ashore  I prepared  to  eat  my  lunch,  feel- 
ing a great  relief  in  having  left  the  Chinese  devils 
behind,  when  a number  of  shadows  fell  across 
me  and,  looking  up,  I found  the  high  embank- 
ment fringed  with  a lot  of  peasants,  men  and 
boys,  who  began  jeering  at  me.  These  twenty 
or  thirty  seemed  so  harmless  compared  to  the 
hordes  in  the  city  that  I felt  bold,  took  out  my 
sketch-book,  and  began  to  set  them  down.  This 
act  instantly  frightened  most  of  them  away,  evi- 
dently disturbed  by  some  superstition  in  having 

201 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


their  pictures  taken.  A few  men  remained  and 
defiantly  made  up  faces  at  me,  and  jerked  their 
arms  in  a peculiar  gesture  which  the  guide  said 
meant  to  choke  me. 


If  one  soberly  considers  the  manner  in  which 
the  Chinese  have  been  treated  by  Christian  na- 
tions, he  cannot  be  surprised  at  the  attitude  of 
the  Chinese  towards  him.  In  the  plainest  way, 
it  may  be  stated  that  the  “ Foreign  Devils,”  un- 
der the  guise  of  a diplomatic  phrase  known  as 
“ spheres  of  influence,”  have  stolen  thousands 

202 


A CHINESE  MOB 


upon  thousands  of  square  miles  of  territory,  have 
robbed  them  of  nearly  every  open  port,  and  have 
extorted  untold  millions  in  indemnities. 

It  was  a relief  to  start  for  Canton,  and  leave 
these  justifiable  ruffians  to  their  filth  and  super- 
stitions. On  our  way  down  the  river,  we  landed 
at  a village  which  my  guide  said  was  the  home 
of  his  family.  He  did  not  find  a relative  even, 
and  it  is  probable  that  some  ancestor  lived  there 
many  hundreds  of  years  ago,  for  such  is  their 
way  of  inaccurate  statement  that  it  is  often  im- 
possible to  find  out  what  they  do  mean.  (This 
is  stated  on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Smith,  in  Chi- 
nese Characteristic  si)  We  entered  the  village 

by  one  gate,  passed  through  the  place,  and  out 
by  another  gate.  The  village  being  an  agricul- 
tural one,  the  men,  women,  and  children  were  in 
the  rice-fields  at  work,  so  there  were  few  to  greet 
me,  hostile  or  otherwise.  It  was  curious  to  see 
at  this  city  gate  conveniences  for  burning  incense 
to  propitiate  the  evil  spirits,  and  bring  good  luck 
to  the  community. 

The  single  trophy  I brought  back  (see  title- 
page)  from  the  pottery  town  shows  fine  taste  and 
skill  in  modelling.  In  this  town  I discovered  the 

203 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


origin  of  the  common  brown  and  green  glazed 
pottery  figures  that  one  finds  for  sale  in  our  coun- 


Gateway  of  village 


try,  — figures  that  are  more  curious  than  beautiful, 
and  sell  for  a few  cents.  I secured  one  of  these 
in  Canton,  and  also  have  in  my  possession  a figure 

204 


A CHINESE  MOB 


which  had  been  handed  down  in  an  old  Salem 
family,  and  is  known  to  have  been  brought  from 
Canton  over  one  hundred  years  ago.  It  is  made 
of  precisely  the  same  clay  and  glaze  as  the  mod- 
ern one  just  alluded  to,  and  must  have  been  made 
in  the  same  place.  The  fragments  of  pottery  jut- 
ting out  from  the  river-dikes  were  also  of  the  same 
material,  so  that  from  time  immemorial  a succes- 
sion of  generations  have  continued  making  the 
same  pottery,  — an  illustration  of  the  fixed  and 
unchangeable  character  of  these  people.  The 
interesting  fact  about  these  figures  is  that  the 
modern  one  shows  a marked  deterioration  in  the 
art,  — a change  that  is  seen  in  Japan  as  well  as  in 
other  regions  of  the  world. 

I got  back  to  Canton  late  at  night,  wearied 
with  the  strain  and  anxiety  of  the  day’s  adven- 
ture. In  my  brief  experience  in  Canton  I could 
not  recall  a single  friendly  or  approving  look,  not 
a sympathetic  return  of  a smile  that  even  the 
lowest  savage  will  respond  to;  on  the  contrary, 
a contempt  and  hate  of  me  was  everywhere  man- 
ifest. In  a Japanese  town  in  a single  day’s  so- 
journ I would  establish  kindly  relations  with  a 
number  of  men  and  children,  who  would  come  to 

205 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


the  borders  of  the  village  to  bid  me  good-bye.  At 
one  place  milk  was  sent  to  me  every  morning  by 
some  one  who  knew  that  the  foreigner  drank 
milk;  at  another  place  some  little  souvenir  was 
given  me  by  the  servant  of  some  one  just  as  I 
was  about  riding  away. 

I wanted  to  see  the  good  points  of  the  Chinese, 
but  utterly  failed  to  get  in  touch  with  any  one 
save  my  companions  at  Shanghai,  who  had  lived 
in  Hartford  for  a few  years,  and  had,  doubtless, 
been  slightly  affected  by  this  foreign  contact. 
Artificial  as  the  politeness  of  the  Japanese  is  said 
to  be  by  some  English  writers,  I recall  the  ex- 
pression of  one  who  said  that  politeness  was  like 
an  air-cushion : there  was  nothing  in  it,  but  it 
eased  the  jolts  wonderfully.  In  my  short  expe- 
rience with  the  Chinese  I do  not  recall  the  faint- 
est indications  of  kindliness,  politeness,  or  urban- 
ity; whether  high  or  low  in  station,  their  attitude 
was  always  the  same.  Now,  I know  there  must 
be  kindness,  gentleness,  and  politeness  among 
them.  In  the  higher  classes  etiquette  is  devel- 
oped to  a degree  unknown  with  us. 

The  reception  a foreigner  encounters  in  China 
is  due  to  an  intense  dislike  of  us,  coupled  with  an 

206 


A CHINESE  MOB 

absolute  contempt  for  all  we  do  and  for  all  we 
have  accomplished.  It  seems  strange  that  the 
cheap  crowd  of  Chinese  who  come  from  the 
poorest  regions  around  Canton,  and  follow  the 
menial  occupation  of  washing  clothes,  despise  us 
and  all  that  our  civilization  has  acquired.  They 
burn  our  gas  and  kerosene,  ride  in  our  cars,  profit 
by  our  medical  practice,  appear  in  our  public 
courts  for  justice,  follow  time  with  a Connec- 
ticut clock,  use  our  mails,  yet  look  on  their  own 
ways  as  infinitely  superior  to  ours  in  every  re- 
spect. They  are,  undoubtedly,  deeply  impressed 
and  flattered  by  the  fact  that  in  some  matters  we 
imitate  them.  If  they  are  taught  history  in  our 
mission-schools,  they  know  that  many  of  our  arts 
originated  in  their  own  country.  The  art  of 
making  paper,  printing,  the  mariner’s  compass, 
the  manufacture  of  gunpowder,  white  porcelain, 
and  silk,  are  all  due  to  the  Chinese.  They  fur- 
ther note  the  use  of  raised  beds,  tables,  and 
chairs,  and  probably  laugh  at  our  limited  use  of 
the  wheel-barrow,  which,  with  them,  conveys  pas- 
sengers as  well  as  merchandise.  They  notice  the 
same  activity  and  bustle  on  the  streets,  our  food 
is  in  many  respects  not  unlike  theirs,  and  they  go 

207 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


to  our  markets  and  without  trouble  find  articles 
of  food  to  their  means  and  taste,  and  they  ob- 
serve their  national  drink  dividing  the  honors 
with  coffee.  They  further  notice  that,  like  their 
own  people,  we  love  noise,  and  in  this  matter  they 
probably  regard  us  as  superior,  in  that  our  bar- 
barous factory  whistles  wake  up  invalids  in  the 
next  county,  while  their  racket  may  reach  only  a 
few  squares.  The  factory  whistle  and  the  grind- 
ing trolley  car  with  its  clanging  bell  they  delight 
in,  and  we  make  no  effort  to  suppress.  Their 
pride  must  be  flattered,  too,  when  they  discover 
that  we  celebrate  our  great  national  birthday  pre- 
cisely as  they  celebrate  their  great  days,  and,  what 
is  more,  we  send  to  their  country  for  the  fire- 
crackers with  which  to  do  it.  If  our  people  die 
in  any  part  of  the  world,  the  body  is  transported 
across  continents  and  oceans  to  be  interred  in 
home  burial-places.  The  Chinese  transport  their 
remains  in  the  same  way  to  their  native  country. 

In  recognizing  these  similarities,  they  see  an 
approach  to  their  own  people,  but  beyond  these 
matters  they  are  totally  blind.  Cleanliness, 
sanitation,  good  roads  and  schools,  coinage, 
postal-system,  fire-apparatus,  and  all  the  wonder- 

208 


A CHINESE  MOB 


ful  development  of  steam  and  electricity  and  the 
thousand  instrumentalities  of  life  that  we  have 
acquired  through  the  persistent  study  of  the  be- 
havior of  nature’s  laws  make  no  more  impression 
on  their  brains  than  it  would  on  the  brain  of  an 
ox.  In  these  respects  they  represent  a savage 
race,  and  for  these  reasons  the  Chinese  Exclusion 
Act  is  justified. 

The  Chinese  must  certainly  lament  that  they 
are  not  strong  enough  to  issue  an  edict  exclud- 
ing the  foreigners  from  their  country,  for  the  for- 
eigners have  already  wrought  untold  calamities 
for  their  people,  just  as  the  free  admission  of  the 
Chinese  to  our  country  would,  in  the  end,  work 
untold  miseries  for  us. 


209 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Archery,  131-133,  179-183. 

Architecture  in  Shanghai,  8,  9,  ii, 
I7»  32,  47.  76,  95-97  ; in  Canton, 
125,  143,  152,  153,  162,  167,  168. 

Artistic  taste,  absence  of,  among 
the  masses,  17. 

Baby’s  cage,  100;  chair,  47 ; cradle, 
105 ; high  chair,  105. 

Backyard,  75,  76. 

Barber,  27. 

Baskets,  for  paper  to  burn  at  graves, 
54- 

Bedrooms  in  Canton,  128. 

Bedsteads,  30,  107,  128. 

Beggar,  79. 

Blacksmith,  30. 

Boats  on  Y angtse,  5,  7 ; on  river 
at  Canton,  113-116. 

Books,  40. 

Bookshelves,  39,  40. 

Bow,  131,  132,  133. 

Bowed  cotton,  104. 

Buddhist  temples,  28, 135, 143-148. 

Buddhistic  worship,  37. 

Burial  places,  5,  6,  76,  137. 

Canal  system  in  China,  191. 

Canton,  arrival  at,  113;  buildings 
in,  1 18;  chairs  in,  117  ; gates  of, 
134;  walls  of,  133;  crowds  on 
streets,  118,  137,  139;  filth  of. 


doorways  in,  167,  168 ; drill- 
room  in,  179-183;  fuel  in,  123, 
137;  Government  School,  116, 
120;  hostility  to  foreigners  in, 
1 19;  house  in,  122;  inscriptions 
in,  126,  127 ; kitchen  in,  123- 
126;  kitchen  shrine,  125;  lan- 
guage of,  122,  123;  prison  in, 
171,  172;  roofing  tiles  in,  162; 
sanitary  arrangements  in,  128; 
shop  signs  in,  118;  temples  in, 
135.  143-148 ; view  of,  135  ; water 
conductors,  162 ; window  sash, 
125. 

Carpenters’  tools,  29. 

Catholic  church  in  China,  37. 

Catholic  doctrine,  progress  of  the, 
108. 

Children,  20,  41,  58. 

Chimneys,  50,  76. 

Chinese  Exclusion  Act,  209. 

Chopping-block,  52. 

Chopsticks,  67. 

Cleanliness,  contempt  for,  7 ; slight 
evidence  of,  60. 

Clothing,  cost  of,  44,  45. 

Coffins,  29, 

Cold  houses,  38,  44,  45. 

Costumes,  42 ; price  of,  49. 

Cotton,  101-104;  gin,  loi,  102; 
primitive  means  for  manufacture 
of,  100. 

Court-yard,  32,33,  58. 


114,  125,  143-148,155,  158,  160; 

213 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


Cradle,  105. 

Cummings,  Miss  Gordon,  167. 
Currency,  16. 

Customs,  unmodifiable,  35. 

Debris  from  fire,  75. 

Dining-room,  45-47. 

Dinner,  65-72. 

Dirtiness  of  the  people,  7-10,  14, 
17,  21,  28,  44,  47,  50,  52,  54,  68- 
70,  80,  84,  85,  90,  128,  129. 
Doorways,  8,  9,  167,  168. 

Dress,  of  child,  2,  4;  of  men,  42, 
44;  at  theatre,  89. 

Drew,  Mr.  Edward  B.,  9. 

Drug  stores,  28. 

Dwarf  trees,  143-145. 

Energy  of  the  people,  25,  26. 
Entrance  to  house,  32,  95. 

Etiquette,  206. 

Examination  hall,  172,  173. 
Examination  for  public  office,  175, 
176. 

Execution  grounds,  172. 

Feeling,  absence  of,  in  Chinese, 
78. 

Feet,  compression  of,  34,  37,  42, 
129-131. 

Fishing  boats,  5. 

Flatiron,  28. 

Flower-garden,  58. 

Food,  17,  18,  21,  28,  66-68,  80,  84. 
Foot- warmer,  38. 

Foreign  population,  22. 

Foreigners,  contempt  for,  50,  206, 
207. 

Fuel,  98,  123. 

Furniture,  30,  105,  107,  128,  207. 
Gambling,  14. 

2 


Gateways,  77,  95,  96,  152. 

Ginger  sprouts,  18,  72. 

Goose’s  egg,  67,  70. 

Government  appointments,  173- 
176. 

Government  School,  Canton,  116, 
120. 

Guests,  seating  of,  at  table,  65,  66. 

Gymnastic  performances,  89. 

Hair-dressing,  42. 

Hartford  students,  18,  19,  206. 

Hogs  at  temple,  146,  147. 

Hong  Kong,  in,  112. 

House,  in  Canton,  122;  cold,  38; 
entrance  to,  32,  95 ; interiors  of, 
19,  20,  38,  72;  Howqua’s,  151- 
162;  of  peasant,  95;  roof  of,  76, 
77- 

Howqua’s  mansion,  151-162. 

Incense,  burning  of,  203. 

Inland  Sea,  3. 

Inscriptions  in  Canton,  126,  127. 

Jail,  78. 

Japanese  and  Chinese  contrasted, 
105,  107,  120,  121,  137,  143,  147, 
148,  154,  174,  175.  199.  200. 

Joss-paper,  burning  of,  148. 

Juggler,  street,  14,  15. 

Kaempfer,  37. 

Kitchen,  47-54;  in  Canton,  123- 
126;  in  Howqua’s  house,  155- 
159;  shrine,  125. 

Language,  86;  of  Canton,  122,  123. 

Library,  21,  32,  38,  39. 

Li  Hung  Chang,  44. 

Loom,  104. 

Lucky-boxes,  56. 

14 


INDEX 


Manchus,  30. 

Mandarins,  18,  19. 

Markets,  28. 

Menu,  at  dinner,  67. 

Missionaries,  36,  37,  108. 
Missionary,  female,  35,  36. 

Mob,  188,  195-197,  200,  201 
Music,  in  theatre,  87. 

“ Nimble  lads,”  67. 

Noise,  10,  87-89,  1 17,  1 19,  208. 

Opium  war,  119,  135,  151. 
Orchestra  at  theatre,  87. 

Order,  contempt  for,  7. 

Palanquins,  117,  133. 

Peasant’s  house,  95. 

Pipes,  165-167. 

Politeness,  206;  absence  of,  206. 
Population  of,  21,  22, 

Potters’  wheel,  198,  199. 

Pottery,  33,  172,  187,  191,  192,  195, 
197,  199,  203-205 ; deterioration 
of,  205  ; pedler  of,  113,  114 ; piles 
of,  12,  25. 

Prison,  in  Canton,  17 1,  172. 
Prisoners,  171,  172. 

Protestants,  37. 

Punishment,  modes  of,  78,  79. 

Repairs,  no  attention  paid  to,  29, 
40. 

Roofing  tiles,  9,  47,  76,  77,  98 ; in 
Canton,  162. 

Roofs  of  houses,  76. 

Sake,  66. 

Sampson,  Mr.,  116,  117,  120,  122, 
124,  126,  133. 

Sanitary  arrangements,  20,  90;  in 
Canton,  128. 


Schlegel,  Dr.  Gustave,  translation 
of  inscription,  26. 

Shanghai,  7-108  ; crowds  in  streets 
of,  13,  25,  26;  foreign  city,  7-10, 
21;  native  city,  7,  9-21,  25; 
temples  in,  107  ; Walls  of  Native 
City,  10,  II,  25. 

Shanghai  River,  7. 

Shell  of  large  snail,  137. 

Shells  for  window  lights,  49,  50. 

Shoe,  98. 

Shop  signs,  26;  in  Canton,  118. 

Slave,  60-62. 

Small-pox,  15. 

Soldiers’  drill-room,  179. 

Spinning  wheel,  103. 

Statements,  inaccuracy  of,  in  Chin- 
ese, 203. 

Store,  50. 

Straits  of  Shimonoseki,  3. 

Street  juggler,  14,  15;  sights,  ii, 
13,  14,  26,  29,  56,  79,  80,  90. 

Streets,  narrow  and  crooked,  19. 

Study,  21,  32,  38,  39. 

Superstitions,  6,  37,  56-58,  69,  70, 
201,  203. 

Sword-swallowing,  15. 

Tailor,  27. 

Tea,  17,  18,  28;  house,  16-18. 

Temples,  28 ; in  Canton,  135,  143- 
148 ; in  Shanghai,  107. 

Tiles,  for  roofing,  9,  71,  76,  77  ; 
for  floors,  21. 

Time-keeping,  primitive  methods 
of,  168. 

Theatre,  83,  90. 

Tobacco,  165-167 

Tombs,  5,  6,  76. 

Vessels,  on  river,  5,  7,  113-116. 


215 


GLIMPSES  OF  CHINA 


Walls,  of  Native  City  of  Shanghai, 
lo,  II,  25;  of  Canton,  133. 
Water  clock,  168-171. 

Water  pipe,  40,  165,  166. 
Window-glass  of  China,  50. 
Windows  and  window  frames,  47, 
49>  52. 


Wine,  66. 

Woman’s  bedroom,  105,  107. 
Women,  condition  of,  33,  35,  42. 
Writing  characters,  123  ; table,  40. 

Yangtse,  4,  5. 

Yellow  Sea,  4. 


216 


The  Town  of  the  Conqueror 

BY  ANNA  BOWMAN  DODD 

Author  of  **  The  American  Husband  in  Paris/' 

** Three  Normandy  Inns/'  "Cathedral  Days,"  etc* 

WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS 

)2mo.  Decorated  Cloth,  $2.00. 


©piniona  on  iFalatse. 

The  book  is  one  to  read  through  with  delight,  and  to  return  to  with  re- 
newed delight. — Philadelphia  Telegraph. 

The  famous  but  well-nigh  forgotten  town  furnishes  Mrs.  Dodd  with  an 
admirable  subject.  . . . We  have  the  same  vivacious  and  humorous  sallies,  the 
same  sympathy,  appreciation,  and  insight,  which  so  charmed  us  in  <<  Cathedral 
Days”  and  ‘‘Three  Normandy  Inns.” — Commercial  Ad<vertiser,  N.  Y. 

The  chief  charm  of  Mrs.  Dodd’s  books  is  that  quite  unexpectedly,  while 
you  are  reading  about  some  quaint  corner  of  a quaint  old  Norman  village,  she 
will  lead  you  off  on  the  trail  of  a pretty  little  love  story  or  other  romance  of 
delightful  consequence,  and  so  before  you  realize  it  you  feel  saturated  with 
local  atmosphere  and  personally  interested  in  the  most  trivial  affairs  of  the 
quaint  people  you  meet  in  her  pages. — Rochester  Herald. 

Mrs.  Dodd  has  eyes,  sentiment,  humor,  and  a facile  pen,  all  of  which 
are  stimulated  by  Normandy  and  things  Norman  until  not  one  line  she  writes 
is  dull. — Chicago  Tribune. 

The  Illustrations  alone  are  sufficient  to  make  a fascinating  volume,  and 
they  reproduce  the  present-day  quaintness  of  an  ever-quaint  country  with 
fidelity.  Seldom  have  the  attractions  of  a country  fair  been  more  vividly  por- 
trayed than  in  the  bright  and  chatty  rehearsal  of  the  doings  at  the  Falaise 
“Eleventh-Century”  fair. — Living  Age,  Boston. 


LITTLE,  BROWN,  & COMPANY,  Publishers 

254  Washingion  Sired,  Boston,  Mass. 


?n  anti  #ut  of  ■» 

'C^rec  i^ormantig  Jfnno 

BY  ANNA  BOWMAN  DODD 

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t2mo*  Cloth,  extra.  Price,  $2 MO 

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<©pinion^  on  €f)ree  l^ormanDp 

The  reader  who  lays  down  this  book  without  wishing  there  were  more  of  it 
is  to  be  pitied.  ...  It  is  rarely  that  so  thoroughly  delightful  a bit  of  travel  and 
study  is  discovered.  These  sketches  of  Normandy  coast  scenes,  people,  and 
inns,  are  really  quite  ideally  good.  The  author  has  done  good  work  before,  but 
nothing  so  good  as  this.  . . . The  inns  so  capitally  treated  are  at  Villerville, 
Dives,  and  Mont  St.  Michel,  and  it  is  hard  to  say  which  of  them  is  the  most 
fascinating.  — New  York  Tribune. 

Charming  alike  in  matter  and  literary  style.  She  has  the  eye  of  an  artist 
for  the  picturesque,  and  the  art  of  presenting  her  impressions  in  pure  and  grace- 
ful English.  Nothing  could  be  more  charming  than  the  description  of  Villerville 
in  the  opening  chapters.  It  literally  “ breathes  of  the  sea  ” and  of  the  fisher-folk 
who  have  their  homes  within  the  quaint  old  village.  — San  Francisco  Call. 

No  one,  we  fancy,  will  be  able  to  close  this  enticing  volume  without  a desire 
to  cross  the  sea  and  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  its  author,  from  Villerville  to 
Dives,  from  Dives  to  Caen,  thence  to  Coutance,  and  finally  to  the  summit  of  the 
cathedral-crowned  Mont  St.  Michel.  . . . She  has  the  art  of  making  pictures 
for  her  readers  which  pulsate  with  real  atmosphere  and  glow  with  veritable 
color.  There  is  quick  apprehension,  close  observation,  a keen  sense  of  the 
comical — and  there  is  also,  here  and  there,  a delicate  touch  of  feeling.— 
Literary  World. 


LITTLE,  BROWN,  & COMPANY,  Publishers 

254  Washington  Street,  Boston,  Mass* 


CatfiEtiral  Bayg 


BY  ANNA  BOWMAN  DODD 

Nem)  edition.  Illustrated  nvith  Sketches  and 
Photographs  by  E.  ELDON  DEANE.  12mo 
Goth,  extra.  Price,  $1.50 


(©pintonjs  on  Catijetiral  2Dapjef 


A real  addition  to  the  brief  list  of  books  that  give  zest  to  a tourist.  . . . Mrs. 
Dodd’s  recital  of  her  carriage  tour  through  the  lanes  and  by-paths  of  Southern 
England  is  in  fact  unique.  It  has  nothing  in  common  with  those  hackneyed 
way-books  which  direct  us  to  haunts  whose  beauty  they  do  not  in  the  least  cap- 
ture and  convey.  . . . They  hire  a T-cart ; a horse,  christened  “ Ballad,”  with 
whom  they  and  we  are  soon  on  terms  of  choice  acquaintanceship ; and  proceed 
with  light  belongings  over  an  ideal  route,  stopping  at  ivied  country  inns,  when 
and  where  they  choose,  subject  to  nothing  but  the  weather  and  their  own  will. 
Their  tour  begins  at  Arundel  in  Sussex,  and  ends  at  Exeter  in  Devon,  a journey 
of  six  enchanted  weeks,  — a blended  succession  of  rural  villages,  towns,  heaths 
(Stonehenge  and  Bath  taken  in  by  the  way),  manor-house,  castles,  and  beyond 
and  over  all  the  sacred  and  inspiring  Cathedrals  of  Chichester,  Winchester, 
Salisbury,  Wells,  and  Exeter.  . . . Mrs.  Dodd’s  wholesome  and  winning  English 
style,  thoroughly  individual,  lightened  with  humor,  and  marked  with  rare  beauty 
in  descriptive  passages,  is  the  unflagging  attraction  of  the  book.  — Edmund  C. 
Stedman,  in  the  Book  Buyer. 

A very  pleasant  narrative  of  travel.  — London  Spectator. 

How  one  can  imprison  so  much  English  sunshine  and  fragrance,  and  trans- 
mute it  into  style,  and  spread  it  out  on  the  printed  page,  as  our  American 
saunterer  in  England  has  done,  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  authorship. — The  Critic. 


A Tour  in  Southern 


LITTLE,  BROWN,  & COMPANY,  Publishers 

2S4  Washington  Street,  Boston,  Mass* 


J6oinel$ooitii  of  ®rai)tl 


GLIMPSES  OF  CALIFORNIA  AND  THE  MISSIONS.  By  Helen 
Jackson,  author  of  “ Ramona,”  etc.  Nenv  Edition.  With  37  pictures 
by  Henry  Sandham,  including  numerous  full-page  plates,  iimo.  Dec- 
orated cloth.  $1.50. 

Mrs.  Jackson’s  delightful  California  articles,  hitherto  printed  with  her  European  travel 
sketches,  are  now  published  in  a separate  volume  with  the  addition  of  a series  of  pictures  by 
Henry  Sandham,  who  accompanied  Mrs.  Jackson  in  the  California  trip  which  gave  sugges- 
tions for  her  famous  romance,  “Ramona.” 

JOURNEYS  WITH  DUMAS.  THE  SPERONARA.  Translated  from 
the  French  of  Alexandre  Dumas  by  Katharine  Prescott  Wormeley. 
i6mo.  Cloth. 

In  1834  the  great  French  novelist  set  forth  upon  a series  of  journeys  which  furnished 
material  for  some  delightful  sketches  and  stories.  The  great  writer’s  tales  and  anecdotes 
are  as  fresh  and  entertaining  as  ever,  and  from  this  feast  Miss  Wormeley,  the  translator  of 
Balzac,  has  gathered  a series  of  volumes,  the  first  of  which  is  now  offered.  It  describes  a 
Mediterranean  trip,  taking  the  reader  through  Sicily. 

IN  AND  AROUND  THE  GRAND  CANYON.  The  Grand  Canyon 
of  the  Colorado  River  in  Arizona.  By  George  Wharton  James. 
With  thirty  full-page  plates  and  seventy  illustrations  in  the  text.  8vo. 
$3.00. 

An  illustrated  work  of  which  too  much  can  scarcely  be  said  in  praise.  *‘The  Grand 
Canyon”  is  one  of  the  world’s  wonders,  and  this  volume  is  the  most  thorough  and  satis- 
fying presentation  of  its  many  rugged  attractions  thus  far  offered. — San  Francisco  CbronicU. 

THE  ISLES  AND  SHRINES  OF  GREECE.  By  Samuel  J.  Barrows. 
With  19  full-page  plates.  8vo.  $^.oo. 

The  volume  abounds  in  interest  for  the  general  reader;  it  contains  much  information 
of  value  for  students  of  Greek  life,  language^  religion,  and  art ; it  is  an  engaging  book  on 
an  inspiring  theme.  The  illustrations  are  beautiful  reproductions  of  Greek  monuments, 
life,  and  scenery. — Tbe  Christian  Register. 

TO  ROME  ON  A TRICYCLE.  Two  Pilgrims’  Progress  from  Fair 
Florence  to  the  Eternal  City  of  Rome.  By  Joseph  Pennell  and 
Elizabeth  Robins,  authors  of  “A  Canterbury  Pilgrimage,”  etc.  With 
pen  drawings  by  Joseph  Pennell.  Nenu  edition,  izmo.  $1.50. 

LAZY  TOURS  IN  SPAIN  AND  ELSEWHERE.  By  Louise  Chand- 
ler Moulton,  izmo.  $1.50. 

The  book  is  one  to  enchain  the  reader  in  his  lazy  hours,  or  beguile  a journey,  with 
its  charm  and  color  of  foreign  scenes. — Lilian  Whiting. 

RANDOM  RAMBLES.  By  Louise  Chandler  Moulton.  i8mo. 


LITTLE,  BROWN,  & COMPANY,  Publishers 

254  Washington  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


- i I". 


